How big are the wildfires in California – and why did they spread so quickly? | Climate news

At least five people have died and thousands of homes have been destroyed in wildfires that have ravaged parts of Los Angeles, California – the most populous state in the United States.

More than 130,000 residents in various parts of the city of Los Angeles have been ordered to evacuate as the fires, which broke out on Tuesday, continue to spread rapidly, fueled by strong winds.

How big are the fires now and how did they start?

What caused the wildfires in California?

The first fire broke out in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles at 10:30 a.m. (18:30 GMT) on Tuesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Investigators are still trying to figure out the exact trigger for the worst firestorm in recent memory, but a combination of factors may have created conditions optimal for the fire.

California generally experiences wildfires during June and July, and they can last well into October, but this year’s fire defied the calendar, breaking out in January – the coldest of the winter months.

Southern California, the site of the fire, is going through dry conditions and hasn’t had any significant precipitation for months. Last year, less than four percent of California was affected by drought, compared to nearly 60 percent this year. according to the US Drought Monitor.

Climate change has contributed to an increase in the frequency, length of the season and burned area of ​​forest fires, according to a report by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

So dry conditions aided by Santa Ana winds – dry and hot winds common in the area – most likely caused the fires.

Dry desert air moves from the interior of the region towards the coast and the open sea. It contributes to forest fires because it significantly reduces moisture in the environment due to its dry nature. This causes the vegetation to become very dehydrated and susceptible to fire. In such circumstances, any spark can cause a fire, whether it is a cigarette, a vehicle or a power line.

Gusts of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) were reported at higher elevations Tuesday night, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Danielle Ehresman.

In addition to dry vegetation, Los Angeles also has other flammable materials such as low-hanging power cables and wooden telephone poles.

Santa Ana winds have been linked to extreme wildfires in California in the past, including the Woolsey fire in November 2018, which killed three people and destroyed 1,600 structures.

Experts, however, warn the weather conditions are terrible this year.

“We really haven’t seen a season as dry as this after a season that was as wet as the last one — all this extra abundant growth of grass and vegetation followed immediately by wind of this magnitude while still being so incredibly dry,” Daniel Swain, a climatologist at the University of California in Los Angeles, he said in a live broadcast on Monday.

How big are the wildfires in California?

Rapid expansion

The fire broke out in Palisades, which is located on the Pacific Ocean, and from there the fire quickly spread to other settlements. A second fire broke out in Eaton at around 18:00 (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday. A third fire also broke out that same day in Sylmar, in the San Fernando Valley northwest of Los Angeles, called the Hurst Fire.

Five more fires broke out in California on Wednesday: the Lidia, Sunset and Woodley fires in Los Angeles; the Olivas Fire in Ventura and the Tyler Fire in Riverside.

Amount of land burned

According to Cal Fire, this is the current state of the large wildfires as of Wednesday evening:

• Palisades: At least 6,970 hectares (17,234 acres)
• Eaton: At least 4,290 hectares (10,600 acres)
• Hurst: At least 346 hectares (855 acres)
• Lidia: At least 140 hectares (348 acres)
• Sunset: At least 17 acres (43 hectares)

The Woodley fire burned 30 acres (12 hectares) of land, while the Olivas and Tyler fires burned 11 acres (4.5 hectares) each.

Here is a comparison of aerial images of the Pacific Coast Highway before and after the Palisades fire.

And here’s Altadena before and after the Eaton fire.

Retention

Fire containment percentage refers to the perimeter or containment line that firefighters have established around the fire to prevent it from spreading further. A containment line can be any physical barrier around the fire, such as a shallow trench dug in the ground.

The fires in California are barely contained, which means there is no prevention from further spread. The Palisades, Eaton and Sunset fires are zero percent contained, while the Hurst fire is 10 percent contained and the Lidia fire is 40 percent contained.

The Woodley, Olivas and Tyler fires are 100 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.

What was the government’s response?

The scale of the fire is out of control, according to the local fire department.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in the X Post Wednesday night that 7,500 firefighters are currently on the scene.

US President Joe Biden has canceled an upcoming visit to Italy to focus on the federal fire response, the White House said.

Biden announced on his X account that his team secured 5 air tankers and 10 firefighting helicopters. However, high winds hampered air rescue efforts.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a news conference that firefighters from six other states, including Nevada, had been rushed to California. In addition, 250 motor companies with 1,000 employees were relocated from Northern California to Southern California.

But resources are scarce.

A water shortage in the Palisades has dried up some fire hydrants.

Janisse Quinones, executive director of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said at a media conference that Pacific Palisades depends on three tanks that each hold about a million gallons (3.78 million liters). Quinones added that the demand for firefighting water at lower elevations makes it difficult to refill water tanks at higher elevations.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has issued evacuation orders for Hollywood, Hurst and the Palisades. Click here to view LAFD’s interactive evacuation map.

What’s next?

Winds have decreased to about 30-50 mph (50-80 km/h), but the fires are still active.

Unfortunately, winds are expected to pick up Thursday night and Friday morning. However, they will not be as intense as the winds that fueled the fires on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Winds are forecast to ease by Friday and red flag fire warnings will be lifted later that evening.