LA's wildfires sparked by rare collision of climate factors
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Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a car and homes during a powerful windstorm this morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. Photo: Apu Gomes/Getty Images
At least three destructive, fast-moving wildfires were burning in the Los Angeles metro area early Wednesday.
- Tens of thousands of people evacuated, some having run on foot to flee oncoming flames.
The big picture: The wildfires are the result of an unheard-of combination of factors at this time of year — the worst high wind event in Southern California since 2011, plus some of the driest conditions on record for early January.
- Downtown LA has received just 0.16 inches of rain since May 6 of last year, making it the second-driest period on record for May 6 to Dec 31, according to the National Weather Service.
- January is typically during the region's wet season.
- Bone-dry conditions in Southern California contrast with the northern parts of the state, where atmospheric rivers have squelched fire risks.
- Even worse, the region had an unusually hot summer that dried out vegetation even further.
Threat level: Warnings for "particularly dangerous situation" red flag fire weather conditions and "extremely critical" risk continue across Southern California through late Wednesday as at least four significant fires burn in the LA metro area.
- Whipped by powerful Santa Ana winds gusting up to 99 mph, particularly in hilly terrain, the fires forced chaotic evacuations in parts of the area, particularly related to the Palisades Fire.
- High winds are affecting the wildfires, with gusts of 50 to 70 mph and higher in some lower elevations. Burbank Airport, for example, gusted to 84 mph.
- Near the Palisades Fire, winds have reached 98 mph, with 90 mph winds not far from the Eaton Fire near Altadena, Calif.
- UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain referred to the high winds as an "atmospheric blow dryer" for its effects on trees and other vegetation.
Context: Climate change is intensifying hydroclimate extremes, both wet and dry, including weather whiplash events where California see-saws between the two.
- With dry conditions lasting later into the fall, that means Southern California is more vulnerable to dry high wind events, Swain noted.
- "Climate change is increasing the overlap between extremely dry vegetation conditions later in the season and the occurrence of these wind events," he said in an online briefing.
What they're saying: Alex Hall, also with UCLA, said the hydroclimate situation plus the strong winds have suddenly created a precarious situation.
- "Southern California has experienced a particularly hot summer, followed by almost no precipitation during what is normally our wet season," he said.
- "And all of this comes on the heels of two very rainy years, which means there is plenty of fuel for potential wildfires."
What's next: More wind-driven wildfires may yet erupt before this event is over.
Go deeper: Wind-driven fires in Los Angeles area engulf homes, force evacuations
