Los(t) Angeles
Wildfires have blazed a trail of devastation across Los Angeles with at least 27 people confirmed dead in the worst infernos in the city’s history. Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated from their homes, including celebrities, and the destruction has unfolded so rapidly that entire neighbourhoods, iconic landmarks and historic locations have been obliterated in a span of days

Fires across the Los Angeles area have killed at least 27 people, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and scorched more than 60 square miles. The largest by far — the Palisades and Eaton wildfires — continue to burn in Southern California as this report is filed. On top of this, firefighters in California also could encounter fire tornadoes in the coming days — a rare but dangerous phenomenon in which wildfires create their own weather. The National Weather Service has warned that the combination of high winds and severely dry conditions has created a “particularly dangerous situation” in which any new fire could explode in size. The advisory didn’t mention tornadoes, but meteorologist Todd Hall said they’re possible given the extreme conditions. The Los Angeles wildfires, which have reduced entire neighbourhoods to smouldering ruins and left an apocalyptic landscape, could become the costliest wildfires in US history in terms of insured losses if analysts’ estimates of up to USD 20 billion materialise.
The calculations are critical as they underscore the escalating financial risks posed by climate-related disasters, highlighting potential implications for the insurance industry and broader economic resilience. AccuWeather forecasts total economic losses from the disaster to range between USD 135 billion and USD 150 billion, signalling a challenging recovery and likely surging homeowners’ insurance costs. A fleet of aircraft dropped water and retardant into the rugged hills while ground crews with hand tools and hoses have worked around the clock since the fires broke out on January 7, with the aircraft occasionally grounded by high winds. The Palisades Fire on the west edge of town held steady at 23,713 acres (96 square km) burned, and containment nudged up to 18 per cent — a measurement of how much of the perimeter was under control. The Eaton Fire in the foothills east of the city stood at 14,117 acres (57 sq km) with containment at 35 per cent. Southern California has lacked any appreciable rain since April, turning brush into tinder as Santa Ana winds originating from the deserts whipped over hilltops and rushed through canyons, sending embers flying up to 2 miles (3 km) ahead of the fires. Winds were weaker than expected during the day on Tuesday but forecast to peak around 3 am (1100 GMT) on Wednesday, with gusts in the mountains possibly reaching 70 mph (112 kph), the National Weather Service said, as it kept a red flag warning in place. Epic events like these do not have a singular cause. While we don’t yet know the official causes of the fires, we do know that the weather and climate conditions when they started made for a perfect storm for the rapid spread of the flames.
The unusual dryness created a lot of fuel for potential fires. However, a lack of rain alone didn’t lead to the devastation. It was the wind that spread the fires so rapidly once they were ignited. An exceptionally strong mountain wave wind event, with northerly 80 to 100-mile-per-hour gusts, spread the fires faster than anyone could stop them. And it was known that the weather conditions were coming. Thirty-six hours before the fires started, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned of “life threatening and destructive winds, extreme fire behaviour and likely the strongest north winds in southern California since 2011”. That event on December 1, 2011, also brought powerful and destructive wind gusts to much of Southern California, including the Los Angeles metro area. Wind gusts up to 97 mph were recorded in the mountains of northwestern Los Angeles County, according to the National Weather Service. But unlike last week, no large wildfires broke out like they did in 2011. A more normal rainfall amount from October to December of that year may have helped avoid the same disaster. Santa Ana events typically are associated with northeast to east-northeast winds in Los Angeles County and usually result in very little wind in the San Gabriel Valley and eastern San Fernando Valley areas, which are home to many high-populated sections of the LA metro area. The atmospheric set-up during this recent event oriented winds in a more northerly to north-north easterly direction. This sent the high winds right over the region’s San Gabriel Mountains in a trajectory that not only helped amplify their strength but made the air even drier as it came rushing down the other side. This brought powerful wind gusts to areas that don’t typically experience winds at such intensity. The recent wildfires have caused catastrophic damage; destroying homes, and businesses, and leaving entire communities in ruins.
While the impact of the LA fires has been felt by many, there are several well-known celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Mel Gibson, Mandy Moore, and Billy Crystal, who have also experienced the heartbreaking loss of their homes. Actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, winner of two Oscars for The Silence of the Lambs and The Father, and his wife lost two homes in the Pacific Palisades fire. Australian musician G-Flip and Chrishell Stause have evacuated their Hollywood Hills home. Jurassic World actress Daniella Pineda also lost her home, saying she escaped as the fire took over with only her dog and laptop. Actress and model Molly Sims shared a tearful message on Instagram, noting she didn’t know if her house was burned down. Stars such as the Kardashians, Britney Spears, and Dua Lipa also evacuated their respective homes. Celebrities, including Eugene Levy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Faris, Kendall Jenner, Miles Teller, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester have lost their homes as well.
Actors John Goodman, Denise Crosby and Cary Elwes also reportedly lost their homes. Miles Teller, best known for his role in Top Gun: Maverick, and his wife, Keleigh Teller, lost their home in the Pacific Palisades. Posting on Instagram, Keleigh shared a before-and-after picture of the razed property, adding: “I wish I grabbed my wedding dress.” Other stars forced to flee include Star Wars’ actor Mark Hamill and Schitt’s Creek actor Eugene Levy. Tina Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé, lost her home in Malibu. The fires’ devastating wreckage includes iconic LA landmarks burned by the flames — among them are historic sites and state parks long cherished by local residents and travellers.
According to reports, 32 properties culturally or architecturally significant have been lost to the fires. Others are being put to use in recovery efforts:
Pasadena’s famous Rose Bowl, for example, has survived to become a site for donation collections, for victims of the Eaton fire. The Palisades fire has scorched parts of Topanga State Park located in the Santa Monica Mountains, California State Parks has confirmed according to media reports. The Topanga Ranch Motel, a historic 30-room bungalow-style motel built in 1929 by William Randolph Hearst, was destroyed. Topanga State Park will remain closed until further notice. Will Rogers’ ranch house and other historic buildings located on the 186-acre Will Rogers State Park have been destroyed. Sunset Boulevard, the famous 1.7-mile strip between Hollywood and West Hollywood, is reportedly “in ruins” following the fires.
Reel Inn, a family-owned Malibu restaurant known for serving up fresh seafood along the Pacific Coast Highway since the 1980s, did not survive during the Palisades fire. Another iconic Malibu eatery lost to the fire, oceanfront restaurant Moonshadows burned down during the Palisades Fire. Fox’s Restaurant, a 69-year-old diner and community hub on Altadena’s Lake Avenue, was completely burned down by the Eaton fire. Palisades Charter High School has suffered significant damage too. There were fears for the Hollywood Bowl, the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Dolby Theatre (which will host the Oscars on March 3), but they remain okay at the time of writing. The Getty Villa Museum is safe, despite flames reaching the property, which is home to priceless antiquities.
Many Los Angeles tourist attractions have been closed, including Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk, and Warner Bros Studio Tour. The most famous landmark in Los Angeles, the Hollywood Sign, which has been featured in countless TV shows and films over the years, is currently closed to the public due to damage from surrounding fires. It is not immediately clear when access will reopen. As of the latest reports, the Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee was not in any immediate danger from the wildfires. It was not located in any evacuation order or warning areas. After false AI-generated images of the sign burning began to circulate on social media, the Hollywood Sign confirmed in a Facebook post that it “continues to stand tall”. Efforts to curtail the wildfires have repeatedly been hampered due to low water pressure and fire hydrants running dry, particularly in elevated areas. That is because Los Angeles’ urban water system is designed to fight local, small-scale fires over a limited time period, and not large-scale, long-lasting fires. The situation was worse in elevated areas. Hydrants functioned at lower areas but ran dry in hilly areas such as Palisades Highlands — where the storage tanks hold water that flows by gravity to communities below. Experts have also opined that LA has been increasingly expanding into the wildland-urban interface — where urban expansion meets fire-prone landscapes, raising ignition risks and wildfire damage exposure to significant measures.
Views expressed are personal