5 Things To Know About The California Wildfires

The scourge of wildfires in Los Angeles and the surrounding area are the most destructive in the city’s history, and the city’s fire chief said the region was still in the midst of an “extreme weather event” as a new blaze quickly grew to 1,000 acres in mere hours Thursday.

Here are five things to know as firefighters work to battle the flames.

By the numbers, how big are these fires?

By itself, the Palisades Fire is already the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history. The blaze has destroyed more than 5,300 structures — homes, businesses, RVs and other buildings — and flattened entire neighborhoods and stretches of oceanfront homes.

But there are many other blazes scorching neighborhoods and hillsides across the region. Firefighters are battling four other major blazes, including the mammoth Eaton Fire near Pasadena. That blaze has destroyed as many as 5,000 structures, too.

Strong winds and dire conditions have sparked other fires. The Kenneth Fire broke out in the Woodland Hills neighborhood on Thursday afternoon but quickly grew to nearly 1,000 acres in mere hours.

In terms of human tragedy, at least 10 deaths have been linked to the fires, although officials have warned the death toll could rise.

When will they stop?

Firefighters have made progress battling some of the blazes. The Palisades Fire is 6% contained after scorching nearly 20,000 acres, and firefighters have made progress tackling two others, the Hurst Fire (37% contained) and the Lidia Fire (75%) contained.

But heavy winds make battling the blazes difficult. Wind speeds fell on Thursday, giving firefighters a much-needed respite, but the latest forecasts show they could pick up again later this weekend into next week.

How costly will the fires be? Will Californians still be able to access insurance?

With the blazes still burning, analysts say the fires are on track to be among the costliest in American history with economic losses between $50 billion to $150 billion.

California’s insurance market is almost certain to face a reckoning as the full scope of losses comes into focus. Just last month the state allowed insurers to charge homeowners higher premiums to protect themselves after many began to limit the policies they offered amid the growing threat of environmental disasters.

The decision came after State Farm ended coverage for about 72,000 homes there, including 70% of its policies in the Pacific Palisades.

Homeowners are able to buy into a state-created plan, called FAIR, as a last resort, but those policies only cover basic property damage and have a $3 million limit, The Associated Press notes, which could pose issues due to the high value of California real estate.

FAIR told the AP it expects to be able to cover the full claims from the fires. But the disaster could make traditional insurance options come with much higher premiums.

How will the Biden-Trump transition impact recovery efforts?

President Joe Biden has promised the federal government will pay 100% of disaster response costs for the wildfires for the next six months, a period that extends beyond the end of his administration. But the president said he wasn’t certain his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, would continue to be so generous.

“I’m not in a position to answer that question,” Biden said Thursday when asked if Trump would continue to support California, per Politico. “I pray to God they will.”

Trump has leveraged the fires to attack some of his political opponents. The president-elect has called on California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to resign and broadly blasted Democrats for the response to the blazes.

Is climate change involved?

Experts have long said that climate change is a key driver in the risk and size of wildfires. A 2021 study found climate change was the main cause in an increase in fire weather.

And while it’s difficult to link specific events to climate change, scientists say California’s whiplash weather in recent years — heavy rains that grew plants and then record temperatures that dried them into tinder — set the stage for a terrible disaster.