LA Wildfires Rage On: Hughes Fire Ignites; 28 Dead, 55K+ Acres Burned

Los Angeles, California, is facing devastating wildfires that have ravaged parts of the greater Los Angeles area, including two that have already become amongst the most destructive in LA history. The wildfires have already razed neighborhoods, killed at least 28 people, and roughly 55,082 acres burned. Early reports estimated damages to be around $250-$275 billion. @halleberry via X

Five Fires, One Crisis: Mapping the Destruction

According to CAL FIRE, in 2025, there have already been 274 wildfires that have affected 55,082 acres. That is already more than double the past five-year average, where the average was 70 wildfires for the entire year and 29 acres affected.

Fires are concentrated in five main areas:
- Palisades Fire: 23,448 acres burned and currently 77% contained.
- Eaton Fire: 14,021 acres burned and is 95% contained.
- Hurst Fire: 799 acres burned and 100% contained.
- Auto Fire: 61 acres burned and 100% contained.
- Hughes Fire: 10,396 acres burned and 56% contained.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the wildfires. However, considering the fires’ locations, and the lack of lightning, the cause is likely related to human activities, utility infrastructure, or other equipment. At least 17 people have been charged with links to the fires. @halleberry via X

28 Dead, 170K Evacuated, Massive Pet Rescue

In addition to the reported 28 deaths, cadaver dogs are searching for more bodies, as at least two dozen people are still missing. Almost 170,000 people remain under evacuation orders and are unable to return to their homes.

Rescue efforts for pets are underway across the area. The Pasadena Humane has taken in more than 400 animals dogs, cats, bunnies, and more unusual pets like cockatoo and goats. The Los Angeles Equestrian Center has sheltered hundreds of animals from the disaster, including taking in over 400 horses. @LorenzoTheCat via X

Stars Flee as Flames Devour Celebrity Enclaves

As the fire spread through celebrity enclaves, many celebrities have also reported that they had evacuated, including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Mario Lopez, Molly Sims, Kid Cudi, Tom Hanks, Miley Cyrus, Jaimie Lee Curtis, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Mandy Moore, Steven Spielberg, Mark Hamil and Bebe Rexha. © Megan Smith / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mayor's Botched Response

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing calls to either resign or lose her job when she failed to adequately address questions about whether she regrets traveling overseas during extreme weather warnings.

Bass traveled overseas as part of a delegation formed by Joe Biden to mark the inauguration of new Ghanaian president John Mahama but was aware of the increased weather risk before the trip. Bass was at the US Embassy in Ghana when the devastating Palisades wildfire erupted in Pacific Palisades, spreading rapidly to Malibu and toward Santa Monica.

Bass slashed the LA Fire Department's budget by $17.6 million in 2024, while officials are accused of ignoring warnings about the threat of infernos. LA's fire chief Kristin Crowley told CNN: "I rang the bell that these additional cuts could be very, very devastating for our ability to provide public safety."

In earlier comments, Crowley said, "'Over the last 3 years, we have been clear that the fire department needs help." She noted that the LAFD is 'understaffed, under-resourced, and underfunded' © Karen Bass For Mayor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Social Media Erupts: From Looting Conspiracy Theories to AI Fakes

As wildfires blaze, conspiracy theories on the internet are spreading even faster. A few highlights:

-An Instagram post showing men removing a TV from fires was captioned “Fires and looting. A regular Democrat-run city,”
- AI-generated images debunked by PolitiFact showing the iconic Hollywood sign on fire.
- Governor Gavin Newsom and California politicians deliberately set these fires for land grabs to hide secret pedophile tunnels.
- California's smelt fish policy blocked water rights to save the fish over its people and land.

According to USA Today, Police say they have recovered an Emmy Award and at least $200,000 in items looted from homes abandoned during wildfire evacuations. © ISAIAH MURTAUGH/THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Climate Crisis Meets Infrastructure Failure

Climate change may be at play in the the rapid spread of the fires, along with an inadequate infrastructure and response. In this case, wind conditions are playing a major role.
Faith Kearns, a water and wildfire expert with the Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University, told Al Jazeera: “Extreme wind conditions did not allow for a common wildland firefighting approach, which is water dropped by air. Helicopters, for example, were not able to fly under those conditions early on in the fires, so the demand on hydrants and other urban water infrastructure was intense.”

Kearns added, “Some of the questions moving forward will be about costs – some of the thousands of water providers in California are relatively well resourced and many others are not – and risk tolerance. I hope these events will lead to a larger conversation about how to help water providers adapt to climate change.” © JOE LUMAYA/SPECIAL TO THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images