Scarlett Shin '27
Since the start of January, wildfires have spread through California, becoming some of the most destructive in California's history.
On January 7th, a brush fire ignited in the Pacific Palisades, overall burning 23,448 acres and destroying 6,810 structures. Only a few hours after it started, the Eaton fire burned 14,021 acres of land. A week later, the Hughes fire in Northern Los Angeles grew to over 10,000 acres.
To combat the growing fires, Mexican firefighters flew into Los Angeles to aid the team in California. Their arrival added to the 14,000 personnel currently fighting the fires.
During evacuations, around 200,000 people had to leave their homes. The fire destroyed multiple structures and killed at least 28 people. The damage costs are estimated to exceed billions of dollars.
The cause of these wildfires is likely drought-like conditions and powerful winds. However, legal cases were filed against Southern California Edison Company for negligence regarding overhead wires in the Eaton Fire.
These extreme conditions across California prompted multiple major insurers to withdraw their property coverage in areas with high fire risk, making it difficult for California homeowners to obtain or afford insurance.
The fires have plagued Southern California for three weeks. One can only hope they will be fully extinguished soon.
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