California California Wildfires

A person wearing a white face mask and with their back facing the camera looks to their right side as they stand in middle of charred remains and burnt building at a school. Two brick walls remain standing nearby.

K-12 Education

A beloved Altadena school, destroyed in the Eaton fire, looks to the future

School officials are scrambling to find an alternate site for its campus while trying to support families, nearly half of whom lost their homes in the fire.

By

Carolyn Jones

• January 27, 2025

Water

Trump orders more Central Valley water deliveries — falsely claiming it would help LA fires

Citing the LA fires, Trump directed federal agencies to "immediately take actions to override" water operations and environmental rules. But the water mostly serves Central Valley farms.

By

Alastair Bland

• January 26, 2025

A small, scorched tricycle with bright orange wheels stands alone on a cracked, ash-covered surface. In the background, a partially destroyed playground and charred remains of structures hint at the devastation caused by a recent fire.

Digital Democracy

California rushes billions in aid for LA fire recovery: ‘The first of many steps’

California passed a set of bills to expedite LA wildfire recovery funds as part of an extended special session called by Gov. Gavin Newsom in response to Palisades and Eaton fires.

By

Sameea Kamal

• January 23, 2025

Small flames and smoke rise from a smoldering playground area of an elementary school. The plastic of the playground can be seen melting and burned down trees and a destroyed building in the background.

K-12 Education

Will new bond funds be enough to rebuild LA schools — and all of California’s other crumbling schools?

Some schools destroyed years ago in the Sonoma and Butte fires are just now reopening. The long, expensive process of rebuilding in LA may eat up much of the money voters approved in November for school repairs statewide.

By

Carolyn Jones

• January 22, 2025

California Wildfires

‘It all ended in a second’: Thousands of low-income and immigrant workers lost jobs in LA fires

Gardeners, housekeepers and car wash workers living paycheck to paycheck are out of work in Los Angeles County as fires damaged homes and businesses. Their income losses may be permanent.

By

Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

and

Jeanne Kuang

• January 17, 2025

An individual wearing a red hoodie and cap uses a broom to clean a concrete walkway near a house surrounded by trees. A burned-out car is visible on the left side of the image, and debris from a fire is scattered around the property under a clear blue sky.

California Wildfires

As workers tackle the dangerous job of cleaning up after the LA fires, can the state keep them safe?

The LA fires have left domestic workers and day laborers jobless. They may soon be hired for wildfire cleanup work, where they can be exposed to ash and other toxins.

By

Jeanne Kuang

and

Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

• January 17, 2025

A tattered American flag flies atop the remains of a structure severely damaged by fire. The foreground is filled with twisted metal debris and charred materials, while the clear blue sky forms the backdrop.

Capitol

LA wildfire response from California lawmakers: Lots of ideas, few details

As wildfires rage on in Los Angeles, California lawmakers are rushing to offer ideas for wildfire response and prevention. Few, however, have provided specifics on how they would work — and how the state could afford them.

By

Yue Stella Yu

• January 16, 2025

A hillside neighborhood with scattered houses and trees is illuminated by an orange glow, as thick smoke fills the sky. Mountains are visible in the background under a hazy, pale sky. A road with a few parked cars runs along the edge of the hill.

California Wildfires

‘Literally off the charts’: LA’s critically dry conditions stun scientists as fires rage

Key moisture measurements are only 2% to 5% of average, leaving dusty soils. And the recent swing from wet to dry is among the most extreme on record. This combination of climatic conditions crossed into a danger zone, priming much of Southern California for wind-whipped fires.

By

Alastair Bland

• January 15, 2025

Firefighters in bright yellow jackets sprays water onto smoldering debris at the site of a fire. Thick smoke rises into the air, partially obscuring the charred remains of a building’s framework in the background. The scene is surrounded by rubble and burned structures.

California Wildfires

Map: How big are the LA fires? Use this tool to overlay them atop where you live

The fires sweeping across Los Angeles County for the past week have burned more than 50,000 acres, an area roughly equivalent to 2,200 Alcatraz Islands or 500 Disneylands, or larger than Washington, D.C. An arid fall and winter has dried out vegetation after two wetter-than-average years, providing fuel as a windstorm, with hurricane-force gusts topping […]

By

Jeremia Kimelman

and

John Osborn D'Agostino

• January 13, 2025

A person stands on the side of a road, silhouetted against a fiery orange sky filled with thick smoke. Overhead, power lines stretch across utility poles, and vegetation lines the foreground. The scene evokes a sense of isolation and foreboding amidst a wildfire.

California Wildfires

A week from hell: See how LA fires destroyed neighborhoods from coast to foothills

CalMatters photographers captured the devastation as fierce Santa Ana winds and bone-dry conditions propelled multiple wildfires across Los Angeles County.

By

CalMatters Visuals Team

• January 13, 2025