Why are winter wildfires happening in Southern California?

LOS ANGELES - Southern California is grappling with multiple deadly wildfires, including the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, and Woodley fires. Together, these blazes have scorched nearly 30,000 acres, forced over 100,000 residents to evacuate, and devastated communities across the region.

These winter wildfires, fueled by extreme winds and dry conditions, are highly unusual but have been intensified by a perfect storm of environmental and human factors. The National Weather Service has called the windstorm driving the flames "life-threatening," with gusts exceeding 100 mph, making containment efforts especially challenging.

In response, Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, and President Joe Biden has approved federal disaster aid to support ongoing firefighting efforts. Fire crews are working tirelessly to protect lives and property as the fires continue to rage.

How unusual are wildfires in January?

Data from California wildfires since 1984 shows that only four major fires have occurred in the winter months, with the majority of large-scale blazes sparking in summer. Before this year’s Palisades and Eaton fires, the largest January wildfire in California history was the 2001 Viejas Fire, which burned over 17 square miles.

"Winter wildfires should be an oxymoron," Jennifer Balch, a fire scientist at the University of Colorado, told the AP. "Temperatures drop, and we’re supposed to get precipitation."

Fire personnel respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025. (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)

What’s fueling these out-of-season fires?

According to experts cited by the AP, several conditions are converging to create these unprecedented wildfires:

• Powerful Santa Ana winds: Wind gusts exceeding 100 mph are spreading embers at an alarming rate.
• Drought and weather whiplash: Heavy rains in recent years promoted excessive plant growth, but record heat dried that vegetation into highly flammable tinder.
• Climate change: While Santa Ana winds themselves aren’t directly linked to human-caused climate change, scientists like Jon Keeley from the U.S. Geological Survey told the AP that warmer, drier conditions have made it easier for fires to ignite and spread rapidly.

The result, according to fire scientist Mike Flannigan of Thompson Rivers University in Canada, is "tiny, mighty, and fast" fires that are harder to contain.

Why are winter fires so destructive?

Unlike summer wildfires, which are larger but slower-moving, winter fires are often fueled by extreme wind speeds that increase the flames’ reach.

"The impact increases exponentially as wind speed increases," Flannigan told the AP. "If firefighters can’t contain it within 10 to 15 minutes, it’s too late."

AccuWeather estimates the damage from this year’s fires could reach $57 billion, making it potentially the worst wildfire season in modern California history.

The impact of population growth

Jon Keeley told the AP that human factors are also playing a role. Increased population density means more infrastructure, such as power lines, which can spark fires during high winds. Previous wildfires in California, such as the devastating 2017 fires, were caused by downed power lines during similar conditions.

What does this mean for the future?

Fire experts told the AP that California’s wildfire season is becoming a wildfire year. Weather extremes, including prolonged droughts and fluctuating jet streams, are creating conditions for fires to ignite and spread regardless of the calendar.

"This isn’t a normal time," John Abatzoglou, a climate and fire scientist at the University of California Merced, told the AP. "What we’re seeing is a collision of extreme conditions rewriting fire behavior in Southern California."

The Source:

Information based on reporting from the Associated Press and interviews with fire and climate scientists.