California Wildfires

Question 1

When were the fires?

Answer 1

January 2025

Question 2

How much land was burned due to the fires?

Answer 2

57,000 acres of land destroyed

Question 3

How many fires were there?

Answer 3

5 major ones around LA, Palisades ad Eaton being the biggest

Question 4

What were the primary impacts of the fire?

Answer 4

-29 people died
-200,000 evacuated
-12,000 structures destroyed

Question 5

How many tonnes of CO2 released?

Answer 5

5.3B tonnes

Question 6

How much in damages?

Answer 6

$150B

Question 7

How much lost to insurance?

Answer 7

$8B

Question 8

What health risks posed?

Answer 8

Asthma, COPD (pulmonary)

Question 9

What were the main causes of the fires?

Answer 9

-Long dry period, 0.16 inches of rain since October
-Strong offshore winds by the Santa area, pushing flames 80kph

Question 10

What were the human factors which made them more severe?

Answer 10

-LA mayor cut spending on fire department (meant local council didn’t cut back vegetation)
-Human activity (Arson or general negligence)

Question 11

What were the short term responses to the fires?

Answer 11

-400 sent from the national guard
-Thinning down overgrown areas
-Mexico, Canada and Ukraine sent personnel

Question 12

What were the longer term responses?

Answer 12

-FEMA set up rebuilding schemes
-Air BnB’s provided free shelter
-$2.5B on rebuilding (resilience and action plan)
-Utility companies provided local electricity