Los Angeles, known for its beautiful scenery and urban landscape, is also known for its terrible wildfires. These fires are driven by a combination of natural and human factors, and have become a recurring threat to the region, impacting the environment tremendously. One of the primary natural factors of these wildfires is the climate in Los Angeles. Residents experience hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This weather pattern is known as the Mediterranean style weather. The combination of high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds create ideal conditions for wildfires to ignite and spread rapidly.

The recent wildfires have had devastating effects on many different communities, over 13 million people have been impacted. At least 10 people have died in the Los Angeles fires, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office who clarified Thursday night what the death count was.  The governor said he expects the death count to rise.  As I’m writing this 8 days later on January 17th, the total death count sits at 27. Seventeen deaths have been linked to the Eaton fire, and 10 to the Palisades fire. ‘’Dan Olson, an incident commander for the Eaton Fire, said that more than 7,500 structures had been destroyed by the blaze. That included 4,356 single-family homes, 77 multi-family buildings and 123 commercial buildings.’’ The speed and intensity of the flames have made it extremely hard for firefighters and emergency responders to help. More than 6 million people remain under a critical fire threat. 

The environmental impact of these wildfires is also significant. Firefighters scale mountains and cliffs and cut down trees and bushes to ensure that the fires won’t spread any farther. With more than 8,000 First-Responders now on the frontlines, officials insist that they are better prepared with more air resources this time around. These firefighters have completed more than 8,800 searches of homes within the wildfire area. The destruction of vegetation increases the risk of soil erosion and landslides, which can have long term consequences for the landscape.  Additionally, the thick smoke and ash produced by the fires have severely damaged air quality, posing health risks to residents, particularly those with respiratory conditions. As fires across Los Angeles County start to wind down, health officials are warning about risks related to water systems in the area, “Winds will also blow more from the east than previous days, directing the strongest winds into more of southern Ventura County and away from the ongoing fires.’’ In fact, during the peak of the wildfires, even the air conditions in Kentucky have been impacted!