Starting the new year… in flames? On Tuesday, January 7, a fire broke out in the Pacific Palisades of Los Angeles near 10 am. Residents were forced to evacuate their homes in hopes of gathering everyone and everything before all they knew was burned down in flames. The extreme winds in the city allowed for the fires to easily spread to different neighborhoods like Hurst and Eaton later that same day. After a full day of devastation and brutalities, the many fire departments within California were all drained of supplies and the fire hydrants had all dried out. Despite this, another fire occurred the next day in Woodley showing no mercy to the thousands of home structures, residents, pets, and trees that continue to be destroyed by the minute.
Tragedy does not do this disaster enough justice. As of January 13, 6 days following the initial fire, it is still spreading and is projected to continue over the next three days. After covering over 40,000 acres of California land, and fatalities reaching at least 24 people, destroying communities and about 12,300 structures, all in just a few days, it is clear that these fires are nothing but relentless. Residents all over South California were given evacuation notices due to the toxic chemicals the fire was releasing into the air. It is dangerous and possibly even deadly for those living within many miles of the fire’s occurrence.
The lingering question that leaves all Americans wondering; What, or who, caused these fires? Well, many leading factors point to climate change or the simple fact that California lacks humidity which would allow for the fires to spread faster. This idea lacks the answer to how it started, whether it was from a kitchen appliance or a spark. Additionally, there are speculations that this horrific series of events was caused by a human. Some L. Residents even claim that they saw a person near the fire adding stuff to make it grow bigger. The need to know how it happened drives people crazy, but the fact of the matter is, that homes were destroyed, people lost loved ones, and schools were left in ashes. All these factors have domino effects that will feed into the worsening of the California state and the only thing we, as people, can do is pray.
