LA County Wildfires Could Be Costliest Fires in U.S. History
In less than a week, a set of wildfires has raged through large swaths of Los Angeles (LA) County in California, driven by Santa Ana winds and dry conditions.
Firefighters are struggling to gain any significant foothold against the fires, and at least 24 people have been killed in the blazes. More than 12,000 structures have been destroyed, and over 100 square miles have been burned.
Major wind gusts—expected to reach up to 60 mph—are expected through at least Tuesday. Weather forecasters issued red flag warnings through Wednesday; these mean conditions exist for an increased risk of fire, combining low humidity, warm temperatures, and strong winds.
At least 153,000 people have been forced to evacuate so far.
Firefighters made some progress ahead of the wind’s uptick to stop the Palisades and Eaton fires from burning. The Palisades fire has spread across 23,000 acres and is 14 percent contained, and the Eaton fire has burned 14,000 acres and is 33 percent contained as of press time. The Hurst fire (799 acres) is nearly 90 percent contained, according to CAL FIRE.
Local crews, including more than 900 incarcerated firefighters, were assisted by firefighting personnel from eight other U.S. states plus Canada and Mexico, the BBC reported. In an interview with NBC, California Governor Gavin Newsom said that 14,000 people are assisting with the fires, including the National Guard.
While the true cost of the fires will take time to tally, the financial losses so far will likely make the wildfires the costliest in the United States. An AccuWeather preliminary estimate puts the damage and economic losses so far between $135 billion and $150 billion. For comparison, Hurricane Helene in 2024 caused at least $225 billion in damage across six southeastern U.S. states. AccuWeather’s estimate is made after assessing multiple variables, including damage to homes, infrastructure, businesses, and vehicles, plus healthcare costs, lost wages, and supply chain interruptions, the Associated Press reported.
Currently, the costliest wildfire in U.S. history is the Camp Fire in 2018, which killed 85 people and destroyed about 11,000 homes in and around Paradise, California. Adjusted for inflation, that fire caused $12.5 billion in damage and economic losses.
The LA fires ripped through densely populated areas and high-end properties, adding to the economic toll of the disaster.
So far, more than 24,000 people have applied for disaster assistance, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell. That number is expected to rise.
The fires are also creeping close to 2028 Olympics venues in Los Angeles—a situation that experts say should be a “wake up call” for sports organizers about the potential ramifications of climate change and the need to consider adaptations that could mitigate the impacts of climate disasters, the BBC reported.
For more information, consider reading these Security Management articles:
- Volatile Wildfires Require More Nimble Continuity Planning
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- Sword and Shield: Two Ways to Leverage Insurance Against Climate Risks
- The Missing Link in Business Continuity Planning: Accounting for the Impact of Climate Change
- How to Create and Support a Crisis Management Team