Jan 10, 2025
By Yun Kim
Southern California is facing a string of disastrous wildfires that have caused extensive loss of properties, loss of lives, and extensive environmental destruction. Of the most gruesome is the Eaton Fire that ravaged a little less than 14,000 acres of Los Angeles County, reducing to ashes a little less than 17,000 structures and killing 29 individuals horribly. The pace at which the fire spread saw wholesale evacuations with residents leaving their properties at desperate moments. In a very unfortunate case, a couple stood helpless with their doorbell camera while their 40-year-old residence was being ravaged by fire.
These fires have not only evacuated families by the thousands but have also driven animals into populated areas. In Pasadena and Altadena, huge 500-pound-and-bigger black bears have moved into evacuated homes to escape the encroaching fires. Wild animal officials are working round the clock to round up the animals back to their habitats without harming them.
Investigations into the reasons behind the wildfires have also pointed to SCE equipment as a significant ignition source. SCE equipment was the ignition cause of about 60% greater number of fires within 2024 itself compared to the prior year, with 135 ignition events being registered. The coming together of low humidity levels, dry vegetation, and windy conditions have made the threat all the greater.
In response to this growing crisis, the state of California is acting with the executive order signed by Governor Newsom to speed the regulation of homeowners within wildfire-risk areas to create defensible space by clearing within five feet of their homes all burnable material. The economic cost is staggering, with insurers potentially facing losses of well over $30 billion due to the record destruction. The financial stress is fueling concerns of a possible insurance crisis of affordability and access to insurance within wildfire-risk areas.
As Southern California grapples with all of this lingering threat, lessons other fire-prone communities have learned, like Australia, are coming to the forefront. Putting a priority on prepared communities, utilizing successful firefighting strategies, and embracing adaptive measures will all be instrumental in reducing the crippling impact of wildfires to come.