Wind-driven wildfires have devastated Los Angeles County in southern California over the last week. Stretching from the Pacific Palisades to LA’s Altadena neighborhood, the wildfires had led to evacuation orders or warnings covering more than 130,000 people and the destruction of nearly 2,000 buildings as of January 13. In addition to those residents displaced by the fires, tens of thousands of others have been impacted by smoke, polluted air, and unsafe water. Taken together, the fires are the most destructive in the history of LA, and the Palisades Fire alone is anticipated to be the costliest fire in American history, given the high property values of the buildings that have been destroyed or damaged. In response to the fires, President Biden declared a major disaster, authorizing the use of federal resources and personnel, including staff from FEMA and the U.S. Department of Defense, to assist firefighting efforts.
Extreme Santa Ana winds with gusts as high as 100 mph have combined with low humidity and a prolonged drought to propel the fires. The Palisades Fire, burning from Malibu to Santa Monica, was at the time of writing the largest of the fires, spanning 23,707 acres in total; at the time of writing on January 13, the fire was 13% contained. The Eaton Fire, the second largest fire as of late last week, had scorched 14,000 acres, primarily affecting the Altadena neighborhood and Pasadena, and was 27% contained at the time of writing. The Hurst Fire and the Lidia Fire had impacted another 2,000 acres. The most recent fire at the time of writing, the Sunset Fire, overtook the Hollywood Hills and spread across 43 acres before progress was made stopping the fire on the evening of January 8. Local firefighting resources have been stretched to capacity, and several municipal water systems were unable to keep up with firefighting demand, prompting calls for water rationing from municipal authorities.
Wildfire season in California normally runs from June or July through October. But California and other areas around the U.S. are increasingly experiencing devastating disasters beyond their usual seasons due to changing atmospheric patterns caused by climate change. In some parts of California, wildfire season is already considered a year-round phenomenon. With the growing threat of rising seas and worsening weather, disasters will almost certainly occur with greater frequency and intensity in more areas in our country.
The lowest-income and most marginalized households often face the most risk from disasters yet are the least likely to receive the assistance they need to fully recover. NLIHC and members of our Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) will continue to monitor and work to assist low-income households and advocates in the wake of the LA Fires as part of our Disaster Housing Recovery, Research, and Resilience (DHR) efforts. The NLIHC-led DHRC comprises more than 900 national, state, and local organizations that work collaboratively to ensure that federal disaster recovery efforts reach those most impacted and most marginalized by disasters, including households with the lowest incomes and those experiencing homelessness.
Here is a list of federal safety, health, and recovery resources. Federal assistance applications can be found at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362, or via the FEMA app.
Read FEMA’s wildfire preparation advice at: https://www.ready.gov/wildfires
Download the FEMA app to receive updates and sign up for emergency alerts.