This year, however, the blaze has whipped up a horror winter firestorm in the middle of Hollywood’s hometown and already scorched tens of thousands of acres much earlier than anticipated.
LA’s dry winter, the powerful Santa Ana winds and a long drought have combined for deadly cocktail of dangerous fire conditions, stoking multiple out-of-control wildfires throughout the city.
Here’s how the wildfires began and why it’s happening now.
Why are the wildfires so bad in LA?
Los Angeles is situated in southern California, where the dry landscape is extra flammable following a prolonged drought over the warmer months.
The city sits at the centre of mountains and foothills. The deadly fires have torn through the region and rapidly scorched entire suburbs and towns across Eaton, Lidia, Hurst, the Palisades, Woodley and Sunset.
Satellite image shows true devastation of fires
The fires are fuelled by something called the Santa Ana winds, which generally arrive during LA’s coolers months.
These hurricane-force winds are powerful, dry gusts which blow in from the western desert close to southern California.
Mixed with the dried vegetation and dry conditions, it provides a perfect firestorm, stoking some of LA’s worst wildfires in history.
Weather conditions during the past two years in southern California have also fuelled the wildfires.
The previous winters have seen heavy rain, which sprouted vegetation in LA.
Coupled with a lack of rainfall in December, the drought has dried out the trees, grasses and shrubs in the region which are powerful kindling for the wildfires.
Why are there fires in LA in winter?
The state’s fire season, which once took place from May to October, now extends throughout the winter months.
“November, December, now January – there’s no fire season; it’s fire year,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said today.
Temperatures in Los Angeles are moderate in winter, rarely dropping below 3 degrees even during the coldest part of December-February.
Dry, hot conditions are also spurred on by the vicious Santa Ana winds, which are particularly bad for wildfires following a long drought in southern California.
These hurricane-force winds have fanned the flames of the wildfires and are making it close to impossible to get the blazes under control.
Meanwhile, the climate crisis is also influencing fire conditions.
A rise in global temperatures have brought about more fire weather, even during the cold months.
”These fires are a terrifying realisation for Australians watching events unfold in California, that fire crews are coping with longer and longer fire seasons,” said Amanda McKenzie, Climate Council chief executive.
What caused the fires in LA?
Fire officials are still investigating the exact origins of the multiple wildfires burning throughout LA.
The Palisades fire, which is on the coast, began burning on Tuesday local time and scorched thousands of acres across beach towns in Los Angeles.
The fire in Eaton broke out that evening and a smaller blaze in Hurst followed.
It remains unknown how these three fires began, however the Santa Ana winds have contributed to their fast-moving pace.
“The combination of low humidity, dry fuels and shifting winds has heightened the potential for spot fires and rapid expansion,” California Fire said in an update.
The ferocious wildfires in LA are often started from natural causes, such as lightning, which can spark a fire in an area with dry vegetation.
Gusts from the Santa Ana winds can also damage power lines, which generate sparks.
Humans can also cause wildfires accidentally, by leaving campfires unattended or sparks from chains on trucks.
Where exactly are the fires?
There are multiple major active fires in Los Angeles which have travelled across the city.
Five people are dead and “likely more” have lost their lives, while at least 130,000 people are under evacuation orders and warnings.
About 17 million people living across Southern California are covered by smoke and dust advisories issued for the three wildfires, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The Palisades and Eaton fires have left tens of thousands of people evacuated from their homes and have destroyed over 1000 structures.
New fires also broke out in the Hollywood Hills, near Runyon Canyon, earlier today.
You can see a map below detailing the fires sweeping southern California.
What are the Santa Ana winds?
The Santa Ana winds, which are sometimes referred to as the Devil Winds, are powerful, hot and dry winds which blow in from inland regions to the Californian coast.
They usually arrive in winter and windspeeds can reach around 130km/h.
The winds are infamous for stoking the flames of wildfires and can cause the temperatures of LA to climb across December to February.
Gusts from the Santa Anas can reach hurricane-strength and are violent and destructive particularly when wildfires are sweeping the city.
Because they flow downhill, through mountain passes, the winds speed up and create a type of wind tunnel.
