Residents of Los Angeles and other regions in Southern California have been dealing with extreme fire weather since January 7, 2025. The weather, fueled by Santa Ana winds, has caused large wildfires. The wildfires may worsen since the Santa Ana winds Los Angeles forecast said the wind is coming again.
Santa Ana winds are not a new phenomenon in LA. However, the Santa Ana winds side effects this year are causing extreme sorrow to those living in this city. Now, more people are in distress because of the fire weather warning they receive from NWS.
Santa Ana Winds Explained
Santa Anas are katabatic winds. It means that Santa Ana winds originate at higher altitudes and flow down toward the sea. These winds are strong, hot, and dry. They may blow at over 100 km/hour.
Those winds are infamous for fueling wildfires in Southern California. Residents in this part of California have experienced Santa Ana-fueled wildfires for centuries.
In addition, Santa Ana winds are dust-bearing. They often blow pollens and spores of pathogenic fungus. Therefore, those winds also affect the health and mood of the Southern California residents.
On average, a Santa Ana wind lasts for 3 days. However, records said the Santa Ana wind phenomenon lasted 14 days in 1957. Moreover, this phenomenon occurs 10 to 25 times a year, between September and May.
A Brief Report on LA Santa Ana Wind-Fueled Fires
In the last 5 years, the Santa Ana wind phenomenon has worsened many wildfires in California. However, they were never as destructive as the Santa Ana winds Los Angeles fires that started on January 7, 2025.
Factors Fueling LA Fires
Authorities are still investigating the causes of LA fires. However, this catastrophe was not surprising for some government agencies. On January 2, NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center) forecasted the fire danger in Southern California.
This agency found unusual fire potential in this region. That day, the NWS also issued a Fire Weather Watch. Five days later, wildfires started to occur in several areas in LA and other Southern Californian counties.
Some fires remain active until now. Moreover, authorities are still investigating the causes of the fires. So far, they have found factors that worsen the fires.
Santa Ana Winds
NWS predicted Santa Ana winds in Los Angeles and other counties would intensify to a life-threatening level starting on the afternoon of 7 January. The wind speed in lower regions was between 80 and 130 km/h.
Meanwhile, the wind speed in higher regions ranged from 130 to 160 km/h. At that speed, the windstorm caused power outages and downed trees in many areas. The first windstorm ended on January 8.
However, on January 11 and 12, another Santa Ana wind phenomenon occurred. The strong and dry wind caused the moisture in the air to drop, increasing the fire potential.
Drought
Southern California was experiencing severe drought in January. The temperature in this region increased up to 5oC, and the precipitation dropped several percent. This condition is favorable for wildfires.
Other Factors
Another factor causing the wildfires to go uncontrolled was the water infrastructure in Pacific Palisade which was under maintenance. Moreover, LAFD has a limited budget due to a reduction. Therefore, authorities could not effectively fight the fires.
Current Active Fires
In early January, authorities detected many spots of wildfires in Los Angeles and other Southern California counties. They could suppress many of them in one to three days. However, it took up to 10 days to fight wildfires in Hurst, LA.
In addition, there were two active wildfires at the end of January. Those Santa Ana winds Los Angeles fires are the Palisades and Eaton fires. Both started on January 7. The Palisades fires cover an area of almost 9,600 ha, while the Eaton fires burn an area of over 5,600 ha.
Impact
The Santa Ana wind-fueled fires caused more than 179,000 people to evacuate. As of January 16, the fires killed 27 people and destroyed over 9,300 structures. JP Morgan also predicted the fire caused a total economic loss of $50 billion.
Santa Ana Winds Los Angeles Forecast
On January 19, the NWS issued an LA Santa Ana winds forecast. The forecast stated that another Santa Ana windstorm would hit Southern California on January 20 and 21. The forecast expected the wind speed to reach 40 to 65 mph. Due to this forecast, LAFD increased containment of the two active wildfires.
Santa Ana winds Los Angeles fires that started to flare up on January 7 are extremely destructive. The fires damaged thousands of buildings, killed 17 people, and caused many LA residents to evacuate. Currently, the fires are still active and LAFD is working hard to fight them.
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