(NEXSTAR) – A swarm of winter wildfires ravaged America’s most heavily-populated county to start 2025, scorching cars, banks, bungalows and multi-million dollar mansions.
Destructive wind gusts slowed late in the week, offering fire crews a moment to gain the upper hand, for now. The forecast shows no rain and a potential return of dangerous wind conditions, meaning the threat to Southern California is ongoing and critical.
“Damage assessments are ongoing at the Palisades fire. Preliminary reports estimate the damage or destroyed structures to be in the thousands,” said Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley during a news conference Thursday morning. “It is safe to say that the Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles.”
As with many other natural disasters, the Red Cross offers a first step to returning to normalcy after a devastating life event. That’s why Nexstar Media, the parent company of NewsNation, has again teamed up with the relief agency to raise funds for those trying to figure out what’s next after the loss of homes and entire communities.
If you are looking for a way to support fire victims, please consider a donation at this link.
Throughout the emergency, our sister station in Los Angeles has offered public safety updates, maps of burn areas, news about public landmarks and harrowing stories of Americans forced to flee their homes. Visit KTLA.com for the latest on recovery and the risk ahead, as well as additional ways to donate to wildfire relief.
Computer models are also beginning to show another “strong and damaging Santa Ana wind event” forming next Tuesday night into Wednesday, bringing new risk for communities already exhausted from a string of uncommon winter fires.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
