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In the cracked and carved metropolis of Los Angeles, there are as many stories as there are people, but there is only one binding, essential truth.
Disaster has dropped by on many occasions in the form of quakes, fires and floods, and disaster will call again.
And yet the monster conflagrations of 2025 proved that despite the deep archive of local calamity, the spectacular topography of peril and the convergence of climate change and wildland intrusion, equal doses of distraction and denial kept us unprepared for the inevitable. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, in fact, left the country despite warnings of catastrophic conditions, and by the time she returned, entire neighborhoods were gone.
Across Southern California, we’ve bolted our houses to their foundations in anticipation of the Big One. But we have not hardened them against a more present and increasingly destructive threat.
In the Eaton and Palisades fires, Santa Ana winds sent embers flying like rocket-propelled grenades. Houses, churches, schools and stores exploded in flames. Roughly 100,000 people were evacuated and more than 16,000 structures were destroyed. The ocean was polluted with fallout and runoff, the long-term impact of contaminated air and soil remains unknown, and the death toll climbed to 31.
Yes, there was a perfect storm of factors that made the fires difficult to contain despite heroic efforts on the front lines. But in a yearlong critical examination of what happened and what didn’t, The Times has exposed multiple systemic failures, and questions linger like daggers over the heads of public officials.
Why was an earlier Palisades fire allowed to smolder until it sparked the inferno that wiped out the town? Wouldn’t smarter pre-deployment of personnel and equipment have made both fires more manageable? What led to late evacuation orders in west Altadena, where 18 of the 19 deaths occurred? Why can’t power companies prevent the breakdowns that ignite wildfires?
In this section, The Times looks back on one of the most apocalyptic years in Southern California history, calls city and county officials to account, and makes the case for ensuring that next time, we’ll be better prepared.
Also explored in these pages is the ongoing human toll and the irrepressible spirit of survival. Thousands of victims are still in limbo, trying to rebuild their homes and reassemble their lives while managing the stress of displacement, the cost of starting over and the loss of irreplaceable keepsakes.
In the long history of disaster, let this be the time we come back stronger, smarter and more astutely aware of our collective humanity, our proximity to both natural beauty and perpetual risk, and our undeniable impermanence.
— Steve Lopez
Since the Palisades fire, Mayor Karen Bass has announced recovery strategies with fanfare, only for them to be delayed or abandoned altogether. Critics say the mayor’s missteps have undermined public confidence in the rebuilding process. Bass said the recovery is moving at “lightning speed,” in part because of emergency orders that slashed permitting times.
The deadly wildfires in January revealed the limitations of Southern California’s water systems. When the overtaxed systems lost pressure, fire hydrants ran dry. Nearly a year later, residents and experts are weighing solutions that would make more water available for firefighting, including installing cisterns, tapping water from swimming pools, or even turning to mobile pumps and pipes that could quickly route water where it’s needed.
City leaders have highlighted changes they have made since the Palisades fire, from appointing LAFD veteran Jaime Moore as chief to new protocols for staffing on high hazard weather days. But the question remains: Is Los Angeles prepared for the next major wildfire? Some city officials and fire experts don’t think so, pointing to an LAFD that hasn’t evolved with the times and an incomplete review into how the Palisades fire started.
For many, the chaos and uncertainty around evacuations and alerts compounded the terror of the L.A. fires. But the snafus had a more troubling impact: eroding trust. Experts say the county needs better coordination, training and funding for its understaffed emergency office to prevent future failures.
Edison failed to spend hundreds of millions of dollars authorized for transmission line maintenance and upgrades before January’s fires while continuing to bill customers for the work. Edison’s aging transmission lines are suspected of igniting two January fires, including the Eaton fire that killed 19 people and destroyed over 9,000 homes in Altadena. After the fires, Edison accelerated repairs. It denies it fell behind on maintenance.
Rebuilding momentum is accelerating in Palisades and Altadena, with about 12% to 13% of destroyed homes receiving permits as of December, up from a slow start. Both communities’ recovery pace falls between Santa Rosa’s rapid 27% permit rate and Paradise’s slower 3%, showing mid-range progress rebuilding. Fire victims face significant obstacles: understaffing at city agencies, supply chain delays, insurance gaps, and a strained labor market slowing construction timelines.
Many scientists say global warming is contributing to make California’s always dangerous fire season even more fraught. The prelude to Southern California’s destructive January firestorm was Earth’s hottest summer on record.
Zaire Calvin grew up in Altadena. For nearly a year since the Eaton fire destroyed his town, he has become a voice for his community. His mom bought his childhood home in the 1970s when Altadena was one of the few places Black families could own properties. Years ago, he bought the house next door. Both homes are gone now.
Of the two dozen houses on this stretch of West Palm Street, all but two were destroyed in January. Natural beauty is one of the great draws of Altadena, but the risk of windstorms, wildfires and floods is part of the bargain.
Disaster victims. Climate refugees. Survivors. Simple labels don’t begin to describe people who, before the fire, made Pacific Palisades their home and place of work. Nearly a year later, many are still reconstructing their lives. One lives on a boat. A teenager is helping her parents cope. A housekeeper struggles to find work. All are hopeful for brighter days ahead.
The Times’ months-long investigations exposed critical gaps in wildfire response, including offline water reserves and delayed evacuation orders. Poor coordination between agencies and inadequate firefighter deployment has raised broader questions about disaster preparedness. Testing revealed toxic contamination in burned homes that federal agencies declined to assess, highlighting ongoing health threats to fire survivors.
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