25 confirmed dead, 200,000 evacuated, thousands injured, over 5 thousand infrastructures damaged or destroyed and almost 24 thousand acres of fire as of January, 2025, the total amount of land on fire is bigger than Paris! People in California are experiencing Hell on Earth. With over 7,500 firefighters on active duty trying to fight the flames it seems futile as every week the damage increases exponentially. Dozens of people are losing their homes everyday. Last week alone there was an estimated $20 billion in damages and the total financial loss looked like $50 billion.
Why is this happening? The dry and cold winds of siege of Santa Ana winds, California have had no meaningful rain for over 8 months prior to the fire. Because of this drought, fires started from cigars, electrical accidents and or wildfires would spread exceedingly quickly. This isn’t the first time California has gone through a disaster like this. California has been known for catching on fire from past santa ana winds such as the Woolsey wildfire in november 2018 which killed three people and burned down 1,600 buildings. However, it has never reached a scale of this magnitude.
There are efforts to stop the spread of the fire and to help those in need. Southern california have cut power inorder to stop the ignition of fire through power lines other places have yet to act. Many donations have been sent to California from all across the world to help the people who suffered bodily injury or financial loss. Many influential names such as Amazon have pledged to donate $10 million dollars and Beyonce promised $2.5 million dollars of aid.
Speculation from President Donald Trump blames the California governor for their struggling water supply. President Trump argues that “Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snowmelt from the north to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” from his Truth Social website. While these claims seem truthful and a legitimate reason to why California is struggling to fight the fire so much, others blame LA mayor Karen Bass for cutting the fire department’s budget. When Mayor Karen Bass unveiled her budget plan for 2024-2025, she called for a 2.7% reduction in spending at the Los Angeles Fire Department. Her intention, unveiled in April, sought $23 million in cuts to the department, with a majority of it focused on reduced equipment purchases.
These fires are horrific and down right tragic for thousands of families, communities, and children but we cannot focus on who to blame. At times like this, what people need most is other people’s love and support. Our efforts as of now should be to prioritize spreading awareness and supporting through financial aid to the unfortunate families who may struggle to find a home after this crisis.