How Santa Ana ‘devil winds’ and climate change are fuelling fire conditions in CaliforniaBy climate reporter Jo LauderTopic:Bushfires4h ago4 hours agoThu 9 Jan 2025 at 1:45amFirefighters battle the Palisades Fire as it burns during a windstorm on the west side of Los Angeles, California. (Reuters: Ringo Chiu)Los Angeles is experiencing what’s already been declared by some as the worst fires in its history, with a spate of wildfires blazing through parts of the city.The fires, which spread through densely populated areas, have so far killed five people, destroyed at least 1,000 buildings and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate.Authorities have said “hurricane-force” winds were fuelling the fires. The largest blaze is burning in the coastal neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades.Despite California’s long history with destructive fires, the fact that these fires are burning in unusually dry winter months has highlighted how climate change is reshaping fire seasons around the world.Where are the fires and how did they start?Fires are burning in the exclusive Pacific Palisades area along the coast near Malibu and Santa Monica Beach. These blazes have burned more than 6,000 hectares and destroyed at least 1,000 structures so far.A separate fire in Eaton has burned through at least 4,000 hectares in the Los Angeles National Forest and Altadena area, near Pasadena in the city’s north-east.Another fire is burning at Hurst in the Sylmar region, on the city’s northern outskirts in the San Fernando Valley. It’s growing quickly and has prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents.The nearby Lidia fire has also prompted evacuation orders, but that blaze is being brought under control.[embedded content]Authorities say the exact cause of the fires is still being investigated.What weather conditions are stoking fires?Each year California experiences the Santa Ana winds, usually in the cooler months between September and May. Sometimes called the ‘devil winds’, the Santa Ana winds have fuelled some of California’s worst fires.These hot, dry blasts originate over the deserts of Utah and Nevada and blow across to southern California. Wind gusts peaked around 160km/h in parts of the state during the fires, according to the National Weather Service.”What ends up happening is that these winds are the offshore winds, strong winds that move and blow from the north-easterly direction out towards the ocean, and they get funnelled through the canyons of the mountains that surround the LA area,” US meteorologist Jonathan Porter told the ABC.The Palisades fire alone has razed 6,000 hectares and destroyed 1,000 structures so far. (Supplied: Mark Viniello via Reuters)Santa Ana winds also cause the humidity to drop extremely low, drying out vegetation and adding to the dangerous fire conditions. Usually in California, onshore winds carry moist air from the Pacific into the region, the Associated Press explains.Greg Mullins is a former commissioner at Fire and Res
Ven. Gen 10th, 2025
