On Tuesday morning, live webcams captured a backyard spark turning into grey smoke, which quickly grew out of control and became a massive wildfire.
In just minutes, the smoke turned into thick clouds, and flames spread rapidly through the dry plants and bushes.
“This wildfire is spreading faster than anything we’ve ever seen before,” said LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley. “It’s something unlike anything in our lifetime.”
Stopping the wildfire anytime soon looks nearly impossible because of the weather.
So far, about 179,783 people in Los Angeles County have been ordered to leave their homes. Another 200,000 are on standby, ready to evacuate at any moment, according to the BBC.
At least five people lost their lives and dozens are injured.
The Palisades wildfire, the biggest fire south of LA, has destroyed thousands of homes, businesses, and buildings on its own.
Right now, there are five active wildfires burning in Los Angeles.
Last summer, podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan shared a story about a conversation with an LA firefighter. Talking to fellow comedian Sam Morril, Rogan said the firefighter warned him, “One day, the wind will be just right, and a fire will start in the perfect spot. It’ll burn all the way through LA to the ocean, and there won’t be anything we can do to stop it.”
“If the wind blows the wrong way, it’ll just tear through LA,” the firefighter said.
Sadly, these warnings have come true.
Experts say that, along with the weather, climate change is a big reason why wildfires are spreading even in January.
“Climate change, like higher temperatures, longer droughts, and a drier atmosphere, has played a major role in making wildfires more frequent and widespread in the western U.S.,” said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
According to the Daily Mail, experts say last year’s heavy El Niño rains caused plants to grow more in the Los Angeles area. But since then, the plants have dried out and become extremely flammable.
When the wildfire started, Southern California was hit by strong, dry winds called Santa Ana winds, also known as “devil winds.” These warm gusts blow inland from the northeast, opposite to the cooler winds that usually come from the Pacific Ocean.
