Wildfires in Los Angeles and Climate Change
Kayla Lee
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A recent scientific study has confirmed that a combination of climate factors, amplified by global warming, significantly increased the risk of the fierce wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in early January 2025. The fires, driven by hot, dry, and windy conditions, resulted in at least 28 deaths and the destruction of over 10,000 homes, marking them as the most destructive in LA’s history. Experts attribute the catastrophic events to the intensifying impacts of climate change, particularly human-caused global heating from fossil fuel emissions.
One key finding was that the extreme hot, dry, and windy conditions fueling the fires were made 35% more likely by the global warming caused by burning fossil fuels. These conditions, which have become increasingly common in recent years, turned what could have been manageable fires into uncontrollable infernos, particularly as they spread through drought-parched vegetation and into urban areas.
In addition to the extreme heat and wind, the study highlighted how unusually low rainfall from October to December of the previous year has become 2.4 times more likely than it was in the preindustrial past. These months traditionally signaled the end of wildfire season in LA, but the shift in precipitation patterns has extended the fire season. In fact, the period of high fire risk has been prolonged by more than three weeks, now stretching into January. This extension allows fires to coincide with the Santa Ana winds, which are known for their ferocity and ability to turn small fires into catastrophic blazes.
While the immediate impact of the fires was devastating, the long-term health effects of the wildfire pollution are equally concerning. Toxic smoke from the fires has affected millions, leading to a rise in heart attacks, strokes, respiratory diseases, and other health problems. A global study found that, on average, 1.5 million deaths each year are linked to wildfire-related air pollution. In North America alone, over 25,000 deaths occur annually due to this toxic smoke, with the death toll rising steadily each year.
Dr. Clair Barnes of Imperial College London, who led the study, warned, “Without a faster transition away from planet-heating fossil fuels, California will continue to get hotter, drier, and more flammable.”
Works Cited
“Climate Change A Factor In Unprecedented LA Fires.” Sustainable LA Grand Challenge, 2025, sustainablela.ucla.edu/2025lawildfires. Accessed 01 Feb. 2025.
“Climate Triple Whammy Boosted Risk of LA Fires, Study Shows.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2025, www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/28/climate-triple-whammy-boosted-risk-of-la-fires-study-shows. Accessed 01 Feb. 2025.
Lo, Joe. “How Did Climate Change Affect LA Fires? What the Scientists Say.” Climate Home News, Climate Home, 2025, www.climatechangenews.com/2025/01/28/climate-change-helped-turn-la-into-dry-tinderbox-before-fires-scientists-find/. Accessed 01 Feb. 2025.
McGrath, Matt. “LA Fires Made Worse by Climate Change, Say Scientists.” BBC News, BBC, 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9qy4knd8wo. Accessed 01 Feb. 2025.
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