By Adelyn Dominguez, Writer | January 24, 2025
Los Angeles fires bright in the night sky.
Photo courtesy of Mrs. Harris
The tragedy of the California wildfires began on January 7th, 2025. With a total of 17 fires, the devastation traveled throughout LA and San Diego counties with the most affected area being the Pacific Palisades.
As smoke and ash filled the air, conditions began to worsen and became a threat to human health.
“It is very bad for air quality, with a lot of ash in the air, many health issues can arise, like bronchitis or asthma,” said Carson High School science teacher Mr. McCracken.
School closures were imminent due to poor air quality and other hazards.
“In school I began to see a lot of smoke in the air, along with ashes, and I found out it was getting more serious once we had to [skip] school due to the fires. The air was thicker, and it was difficult to breathe which caused me to wear masks again…” said CHS senior Valerie Corona.
Evacuation warnings also took place and heavily affected those areas near the fire. Overall, the fires were destructive and there was tremendous loss of homes, cars, and countless items for many.
From a scientific perspective, climate and dry air contributed to the devastation of the wildfires.
“Fortunately, the fires didn’t impact me directly. However, they did affect my community near my other home. Many families had to leave their homes, and schools closed temporarily for safety,” said Carson High School senior Destiny Henry. “[However,] the community came together to support those in need, with local organizations providing food, shelter, and other resources.”
“The causes of the wildfires are a combination of climatic changes this year, it's a particularly dry year and a positive feedback loop has been in action for a while where we lost vegetation and it has been getting dryer because of that,” Mr. McCracken. “As the climate changes, a lot of the water that would normally rain here in California is being spelt elsewhere and it's getting dryer.”
The destruction of the fire did allow for the community to unite as many helped to support the firefighters as well as those affected by the fire.
“My community began to host fundraisers and donate to the people in need,” said Corona.
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