Wildfires have erupted in Hollywood.
Wildfires have erupted in Hollywood. We still don’t have the official reasons behind the fires, but it’s clear that the weather and climate conditions at the time were just right for the flames to spread quickly. One major issue is that Los Angeles has been extremely dry lately. Since May 6, the city has only received 0.16 inches of rain, making this rainy season unusually parched. This dryness has provided plenty of fuel for potential fires. However, it’s not just the lack of rain that caused the severe fires we witnessed this week.
Last week, strong winds and dry weather sparked a wave of intense wildfires that swept through the Los Angeles area, leading to the destruction of hundreds of homes and claiming the lives of at least 24 people, some of whom lost their lives while trying to protect their properties. A fire official from Los Angeles County mentioned that many serious injuries were associated with two of the fires, and a city official in Los Angeles referred to the night of January 7 as “one of the most devastating and terrifying” experiences she had witnessed in her part of the city.
The recent atmospheric conditions shifted the winds to a more northerly and north-northeast direction. This change directed strong winds over the San Gabriel Mountains, intensifying their force and causing the air to become even drier as it descended. As a result, areas that usually don’t experience such high wind speeds were hit with powerful gusts. This Santa Ana event was particularly devastating because the atmospheric conditions at higher altitudes contributed to the wind strength at ground level. A low-pressure system moving over Baja California brought in cold, dense air that traveled along a favorable north-northeast path. This setup allowed the colder air from above to rush down, amplifying the existing winds. Consequently, powerful gusts swept across the Los Angeles and Ventura County Mountains, impacting the foothills and some coastal areas.
