Since January 7, 2025, the Greater Los Angeles area has been ravaged by wildfires, which have burned nearly 40,000 acres, destroyed countless homes and structures, and resulted in the deaths of at least 29 people. At Vertices, we extend our condolences to the people of Southern California and to fellow Duke students from the affected area. 

This year’s California wildfires are largely due to unique weather conditions that created an ideal environment for the blazes to spread rapidly and continuously. This January, the Los Angeles area experienced a phenomenon known as “Santa Ana winds,” a common wind pattern in this area of the U.S. in the fall and winter months. These dry, powerful winds are produced by high-pressure systems and temperature gradients between the warm coast and the cooler desert areas of eastern California, Utah, and Nevada. Moving toward the coast, narrow valleys near Los Angeles act as funnels that intensify the winds and direct them toward the city’s metropolitan area. Santa Ana winds exacerbate wildfires by fueling flames with oxygen, propelling ignitions, and limiting the use of firefighting planes to release water and fire retardants. Furthermore, high winds can carry embers over long distances, allowing the fires to spread to dry and flammable areas even more quickly. 

Above: A map displaying the trajectory of the Santa Ana Winds. Image courtesy of Newsweek. 

This winter Southern California has also experienced significant droughts, which have contributed to the fires in two key ways: the lack of rain has failed to naturally extinguish the flames, and the extremely dry landscape has become exceedingly flammable, providing more fuel for fires. To put the drought into perspective, between April 2024 and January 25, 2025, Los Angeles International Airport reported a measly 0.15 inches of rain total over five days of precipitation. In January 2024, however, Los Angeles experienced significant flooding, resulting in abnormally high amounts of plant growth. Over the past year, drought has dried out much of this vegetation, leaving large swaths of flora primed to catch fire.

Above: Extremely dry plant life ablaze in Southern California. Image courtesy of the Conservation Biology Institute.

Much of Southern California’s plant life depends on fire, which sustains the biome by periodically revitalizing soil nutrients and clearing undergrowth. However, general U.S. policy encourages complete fire suppression when possible, which has enabled an accumulation of dry, flammable material. While most experts agree that reintroducing controlled burning would help reduce the risk of future wildfires, the urban sprawl in Los Angeles presents a significant challenge. With homes closely integrated into the mountains and natural areas, controlled burnings are difficult to perform safely. 

As in many recent natural disasters around the globe, climate change is in part responsible for the conditions in Los Angeles that allowed these fires to occur. In the western United States, irregular precipitation patterns have become increasingly common due to changing climate conditions. Rather than a stable, temperate environment, the region has experienced dramatic swings between extreme dryness and heavy rainfall. Before the wet seasons of 2022 and 2023, California and much of the region experienced a decades-long drought. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States."

On January 26, Los Angeles experienced its first rain—up to 1.2 inches in some areas—since the wildfire crisis began. While the rain helped alleviate some of the remaining fires, it also introduced new challenges. Areas that had experienced significant burning now faced massive flows of debris in flash floods, while mudslides created hazardous road conditions. Several school districts closed due to the high risk of flooding and the danger of the debris moving around amidst said floods. Some homes that escaped the destruction of fires are now experiencing flood-related damage. 

Above: The Franklin fire burn scar superimposed over a flash flood warning from January 26, 2025. Image courtesy of NWS Los Angeles. 

It’s been a very difficult month for many in the Greater Los Angeles area. While the fires have finally ended, the people of Los Angeles will be forced to deal with the aftermath for a long time. California already employs AI and satellite monitoring systems to track wildfires. Hopefully, these tools will be developed further in the wake of these fires in order to improve outcomes of fire prevention.