When the City of Angels Catches Fire

January 13th, 2025

Ron Kim

For many families in the Los Angeles area, fires aren’t just a headline—they’re a tragedy that has impacted the liveliness of themselves and their communities. Beginning on January 7 with the Palisades Fire, the Southern California Wildfires continue to ravage one of the largest cities in America, and many are forced to confront not just the immediate danger but the long-term toll on their homes and communities.

With a rising death toll, nine thousand structures damaged, and over 150 thousand residents under evacuation orders, homes of celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal burning down, and an NFL game being cancelled, the sheer magnitude of this disaster is almost unfathomable.

Perhaps the most unfortunate part about all this is that the catastrophe is still ongoing. Although some progress had been made against the fires in Sunset, Woodley, Hurst, and Sunswept, continuing ‘extreme fire behavior’ and high wind speeds were continuing to challenge the efforts of firefighters. Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna commented that some neighborhoods in western Los Angeles “look[ed] like a bomb was dropped in them”. Even with improvements in some regions, they are offset by rising dangers in others. A new fire ignited in San Fernando Valley on January 9, becoming the fifth active fire zone within the region. Simply put, there is no doubt in the air: this tragedy is far from over.

"I just can’t sleep at night," said Lonnie Wittenberg, who lived in her home in the Pacific Palisades for four decades. She’s not alone--many others resonate with her distress in such an unprecedented disaster. These fires have personally impacted hundreds of thousands of people and indirectly influenced millions. For now, as the flames blaze on, the people of the world can only hope for a quick resolve.