The January 2025 wildfires in Southern California were among the most devastating in the region’s history, scorching over 57,000 acres and destroying or damaging 18,000 structures. Fuelled by extreme drought and powerful Santa Ana winds, the fires – particularly in Pacific Palisades and Altadena – claimed 29 lives and forced over 200,000 residents to evacuate.

The disaster left communities – including celebrity residents such as Mandy Moore, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Joshua Jackson – reeling. Thousands of firefighters, along with reinforcements from Mexico and Canada, battled the flames, but the scale of destruction sparked urgent calls for improved evacuation plans.

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