Thousands of California residents are fleeing their homes as wildfires burn out of control, destroying neighborhoods across the Los Angeles (LA) area. The wildfires began on January 7 and have continued to rage on. Four fires burning in LA county prompted multiple evacuation orders and warnings, forcing the evacuation of at least 30,000 residents in the community of Pacific Palisades, as well as thousands from other areas. The Palisades Fire was the first of the four to be reported (Tuesday morning, Pacific Time), and it continues to grow with zero containment. It has already destroyed more than 1,000 home and business structures. Another fire, the Eaton fire, has already killed two people and sees little containment. As the fires continue, and fire officials fight against time, the devastation is yet to be over. An intense windstorm with hurricane-force winds up to 100 miles per hour is pushing these flames across the region, potentially impacting a much bigger area.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said, “We are prioritizing life over everything else.” Several hundred deputies are serving as emergency responders and aiding residential evacuations. LA Mayor Karen Bass warned Angelenos that “the windstorm is expected to worsen through the morning” and to “stay vigilant and stay safe.” California’s Governor Gavin Newsom described the efforts to stop the fires as “all hands are on deck.” California has secured a grant from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that will help with costs. President Biden stated that he is continuously being briefed on the situation, saying his administration “will do everything it can to support the response.”

Although California commonly faces destructive wildfires due to its climate, these four fires are shockingly fast-moving and volatile. The Pacific Palisades fire grew rapidly in just a matter of minutes. Gov. Newsom expressed his worries in a video on X that “this time of year traditionally has not been fire season, but now we disabuse any notion that there is a season…It’s year-round in the state of California.”

Increasingly harmful weather disasters, like these fires, are the result of climate change. Homes, schools, businesses, and land across this region in California will be forced to recover from these devastating fires. California residents outside of Los Angeles County worry that the fires will spread to their neighborhoods, and first responders are asking for anyone willing to help to join the fight to contain them. Stopping the spread of the fires is an urgent matter. Understanding that the destruction is a form of violence caused by our collective devastation of the planet, nonetheless, is also critical. To be prepared for and prevent disasters like this, there must be a better recognition of the status of our environment. Only through increased public awareness of the impact of climate change can we better address its impact.