Los Angeles wildfires of 2025: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Oct. 15, 2026

Facts

Date	January 2025
Location	California • Los Angeles • United States

Photos

Firefighters in protective gear work to control a burning apartment building engulfed in flames and heavy smoke during a wildfire in Altadena, Los Angeles County.

Map of the Los Angeles area showing locations and names of major wildfires that occurred in January 2025, including Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Kenneth, Lidia, Hughes, Auto, Laguna, and Sunset fires. Burn areas are shaded in orange, and a bar chart below lists each fire's ignition date and acres burned, with the Palisades, Eaton, and Hughes fires having the largest burn areas.

Illustration showing the process of Santa Ana winds in California, with a map indicating high-pressure air from the Great Basin moving southwest toward the coast, funneled through mountains and valleys, warming and drying the air, which increases wildfire risk. Numbered labels explain each step and a wildfire is depicted at the end of the wind path.

A person in a yellow jacket walks down a street lined with the charred remains of buildings after a wildfire in Los Angeles, California.

A yellow firefighting plane drops water over a large wildfire with bright flames and thick black smoke in Pacific Palisades, California.

Shortwave infrared satellite image shows bright orange and red hotspots of burning buildings in a grid of streets in Altadena, California, with mountains visible at the top.

Volunteers carry cases of bottled water among large stacks at an outdoor donation center in Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California, with mountains visible in the background.

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