Five people have died and thousands have been affected after wildfires erupted in the Los Angeles, California, area on January 7, 2025. First responders are actively fighting the flames, and authorities are investigating the causes of these California wildfires. These are the most devastating winter fires in the region in more than four decades.
California wildfires: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
- Fast facts: California wildfires
- What caused the fires in Los Angeles?
- What has been destroyed by the California fires?
- How is World Vision responding to the Los Angeles fires?
- How can I help children and families affected by the fires?
Fast facts: California wildfires
- As of January 9, 2025, five California fires are still actively burning and mostly uncontained with evacuation orders in place.
- The Palisades fire broke out Tuesday, January 7, near Los Angeles. So far it has burned more than 17,200 acres, including homes and businesses in Pacific Palisades and along the Pacific Coast Highway.
- The Eaton fire also began January 7 and has burned more than 13,600 acres.
- The Hurst fire also began January 7 and has burned more than 670 acres and is 10% contained.
- The Lidia fire broke out January 8 and has burned more than 340 acres and is 60% contained
- The Kenneth fire began January 9 and has burned more than 50 acres.
- The Sunset fire broke out January 8 and became fully contained January 9. It burned 43 acres.
- Five people have died.
- More than 180,000 people are under evacuation orders.
- First responders are actively fighting the flames, and authorities are investigating the causes of these California wildfires.
What caused the fires in Los Angeles?
Authorities are still investigating the specific causes, but a combination of extreme weather patterns over the past two years led to the conditions that exacerbated the current fires.
The southern California region experienced extreme wet weather from winter of 2023 into spring of 2024, allowing much new vegetation to grow quickly. Then the area more recently experienced prolonged dry weather, creating conditions for fires to break out Tuesday, January 7. The proliferation of dry, young vegetation combined with the higher-than-usual Santa Ana winds — as high as 100 mph at times — caused the fires to spread much faster than normal.
What has been destroyed by the California fires?
More than 2,000 homes, businesses, and other buildings have been damaged or destroyed, but the full extent of the damage won’t be known for some time, as responders are still actively fighting the fires.
How is World Vision responding to the Los Angeles fires?
World Vision’s U.S. Programs team dispatched two truckloads of emergency response supplies on January 8, 2025 and plans to ship five more truckloads by January 10. The shipments include supplies such as:
- Water
- Face masks and gloves
- Food
- Air beds
- Hygiene kits
- Sheets and blankets
- Coolers
- Shoes
- Socks
- Cleaning wipes
- Diapers
- Formula
- Tools
- Clothing
- Children’s toys
World Vision is partnering with the Los Angeles Dream Center and Cathedral Church to distribute supplies from the first two shipments to families affected by the wildfires.
We are also partnering with Mandarin Baptist Church, Glendale Presbyterian Church, Calvary CME Pasadena Church, and Do Right Church to distribute supplies in the third and fourth shipments.
The fifth shipment will be distributed in partnership with New Jericho Christian Church.
How can I help children and families affected by the fires?
- Pray: Join us in praying for people in the Los Angeles area who continue to be impacted by these catastrophic fires — and people across the U.S. who are affected by disasters.
- Give: Your gift will help provide essential aid to families impacted by the wildfires in California and other disasters across the U.S.
