Los Angeles Wildfires (January 2025)

The Palisades and Eaton fires struck the Los Angeles area in early January 2025, driven by extreme Santa Ana winds of up to 100 mph and drought conditions. Over 12,000 structures were destroyed, at least 27 people were killed, and more than 180,000 residents were evacuated in what became California's most destructive wildfire event in modern history. Economic damages exceeded $250 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in US history.