At Earth Avengers, we are committed to the promotion of truth and justice for Planet Earth. Our unwavering mission is to provide an open forum for honest, fact-based discourse on the impact of climate change. We are emphatically non-partisan, and unrelenting in the promulgation of practical, implementable solutions for the challenges presented by a warming climate. Narrator 1: Hello, and welcome back to Earth Avengers! You’re tuning in with your hosts Faith, Hannah, Mike, and Olivia who are ready to dive into today's episode: The January 2025 Southern California Wildfires. Roaring through the Los Angeles area, these wildfires were fueled by dry conditions and intense winds. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate while businesses, homes, and entire neighborhoods were engulfed in flames. In this episode, we will take an in-depth look at the factors that caused the wildfires and their rapid intensification. We will also highlight the heroic efforts of federal, state, and local agencies during the response phase of the disaster management process while discussing what policy changes can be made to prevent future disasters of this scale from happening again. Stay with us as we delve into this critical, emotional conversation. Narrator 2: Thank you, [Narrator 1]. The 2025 LA wildfires have been described as the most destructive in the city's history, leaving a profound impact on communities, the environment, and the economy. Today, we'll explore the events that transpired, the factors that contributed to the severity of the fires, and the ongoing recovery efforts. Narrator 1: The fires ignited on January 7, 2025, under conditions that were, unfortunately, ripe for disaster. Unusually wet winters in 2023 and 2024 nourished the growth of brush and grass on hillsides across the region. Since the spring of 2024, Southern California experienced eight months of excessive heat, without any measurable rainfall, leading to moderate drought conditions. This prolonged dryness, combined with low humidity and an abundance of dry vegetation, created a tinderbox environment. Climate scientists studying these abrupt wet-to-dry and dry-to-wet swings call it “hydroclimate whiplash” and believe that anthropogenic forces are making severe wildfires, floods and other hazards more frequent, according to Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist who led the research. [James, Ian (2025, January 9). Intensifying climate ‘whiplash’ set the stage for devastating California fires. Los Angeles Times] https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-01-09/climate-whiplash-study-california-fires Narrator 2: Compounding these conditions were the powerful Santa Ana winds. Originating from a high-pressure system over the Great Basin, these winds funneled through mountain passes and canyons toward the coast, reaching hurricane-force speeds in some areas. The National Weather Service had issued red flag warnings, predicting gusts up to 90 miles per hour in mountainous regions. Such winds can rapidly spread wildfires, turning a small spark into a raging inferno within minutes. According to the UCLA study, climate change has also extended the length of the historical fire season in southern California, pushing it into the winter months. This is particularly concerning, since the Santa Ana winds tend to blow more forcefully in the winter, adding a dangerous new variable to an already combustible situation. (LA Times article referenced above) Narrator 1: The two most significant fires were the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire. The Palisades Fire erupted in the Santa Monica Mountains, devastating areas including Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and Malibu. It consumed over 23,000 acres, destroyed approximately 6,837 structures, and resulted in 12 fatalities. This tragedy marks it as the third-most destructive wildfire in California's history. Narrator 2: Simultaneously, the Eaton Fire ignited in Eaton Canyon within the San Gabriel Mountains. Driven by the same fierce winds, it swept through communities like Altadena and Pasadena. The fire scorched more than 14,000 acres, destroyed over 9,400 structures, and claimed 17 lives, making it the second-most destructive and fifth-deadliest wildfire in the state's history. Narrator 1: In total, these fires forced the evacuation of over 200,000 residents and caused an estimated $250 billion in damages. The sheer scale of the destruction is staggering, with more than 18,000 homes and structures either damaged or completely destroyed. Narrator 2: The aftermath has left communities grappling with immense loss. Beyond the physical destruction, residents face emotional and psychological challenges as they come to terms with the devastation. Many have lost not only their homes but also irreplaceable personal belongings and cherished memories. Narrator 1: The response to the disaster has been multifaceted. Federal, state, and local agencies have mobilized to provide immediate relief and support long-term recovery efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been instrumental in coordinating aid, while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has focused on assessing and removing hazardous materials from affected areas. Narrator 2: Community support has also been overwhelming. Numerous organizations and individuals have stepped up to offer assistance, whether through donations, volunteering, or providing shelter to those displaced. The resilience and solidarity displayed by the people of Los Angeles during this crisis have been truly inspiring. Narrator 1: (Hannah) We are delighted to have the opportunity to interview Heather Kostick from The Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media, who will help us gain deeper insight into the California wildfires. After reflecting on the devastating toll these fires have had on local communities, we will discuss how mitigation strategies and policy changes can help prevent a disaster of this scale from happening again. Heather manages center research, communications, planning, and programming at The Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media, while collaborating with Penn organizations and centers, as well as, external organizations to further the center’s mission of science and sustainability communication in the media. She joins after having previously worked for the Masters of Environmental Studies and Applied Geosciences programs in LPS. Heather received her B.Sc. in Wildlife Conservation from Juniata College, her M.E.S. from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Science at Drexel University. Heather’s research interests include climate misinformation and disinformation, urban ecology, urban green space, biodiversity, and conservation. Recently, Heather was appointed Associate Director of PCSSM. Congratulations Heather, and welcome to Earth Avengers! 1. Given the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires in California, what policy changes or mitigation strategies do you believe are most critical for reducing wildfire risk in the future? Policies focusing on land and resource management and preparedness. The fact of the matter is that they need to implement better fire ecology management practices – including using indigenous peoples’ land management strategies that were working for thousands of years until the Europeans arrived. It is critical to use strategies that will mitigate and decrease the risk of more intense wildfires. For more information – please see my previous responses – which I’ll copy and paste below here. 2. Do you have any ideas on how evacuation routes can be enhanced to facilitate the movement of large crowds during wildfires? It comes down to preparedness and making sure everyone understands evacuation plans. They need to spend time and money making sure people know what to do in the event they are evacuated, and they need to be prepared to evacuate people. Unfortunately with the most recent fires in January 2025, the fires would shift and intensity would escalate with little warning, and some people would get very little notice to evacuate. Had the city/state spent time on preparedness plans, they might have had a smoother evacuation and perhaps even less loss of life. It’s important that governmental groups work with local and national media outlets to make sure the most up to date information is getting out there in order to combat misinformation and confusion which can spread rapidly online in these situations. Climate change is a factor in these wildfires, but almost immediately that fact was eliminated as a possible contributor to the wildfires in the news cycle as other topics such as water mismanagement/water rights, electrical fires, and other causes were quickly spread. People should be given the correct information about the risks they face so they can prepare better for them (and so governments, utility companies, and NGOs can also properly prepare). 3. What, if any, were the environmental and human factors that could have contributed to the wildfires? Climate change is the biggest environmental factor in contributing to the intensity, spread, and severity of wildfires. Warmer temperatures with even dryer conditions are a contributing factor. However, had humans done better fire management practices, the outcomes would likely not have been as severe. Wildfires are a natural part of California’s ecosystems (and in many other places too), but when the underbrush isn’t managed properly, then there’s more fuel for the fires to burn longer and hotter over longer periods of time which makes them harder to control. Narrator 1: Thank you, [Interviewee], for sharing your story and insights with us. Your experiences provide a valuable perspective on the impact of the wildfires and the road to recovery. Narrator 2: As Los Angeles moves forward, the focus remains on rebuilding and strengthening resilience against future wildfires. This includes not only reconstructing physical structures but also addressing environmental factors and enhancing emergency preparedness to mitigate the impact of such disasters in the future. Some scientists have become alarmed at the speed at which climate change is driving extreme weather events. In the US alone, disasters costing more than a billion dollars each, increased from six in 2002 to 18 in 2022. To date, resources have been mostly devoted to mitigation – reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere in an effort to slow or stop the rise in global temperature. However, it is increasingly likely that the earth has reached a tipping point and that preventing a 1.5C rise in temperature is not achievable. In order to cope, resources should be spent in adaptive measures, in an effort to live with the effects of climate change. Drought resistant crops, elevating buildings in flood zones, adopting stringent building codes in prone regions, building seawalls and bulkheads, and similar “hardening” initiatives. For example, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, wild-fire prone countries spend up to six times more on fighting wildfires than on reducing their risk before they occur. Much has been written about the failure of government to prevent the wildfires in Los Angeles. Do you believe that the worst of this disaster could have been prevented by more spending on adaptation? One way to drive greater investment in proactive measures is to enact some type of disaster deductible. Similar to health insurance, the effect would be to encourage adaptive measures in disaster prone areas by making federal dollars subject to a deductible, reducing the amount of post-disaster funds available to communities that fail to make adaptive investments. Should relief funds come with strings attached that encourage more adaptive redevelopment? President Trump has already floated the idea of tying relief to concrete actions aimed at reducing risk in the future. Do you believe this is an idea that has merit? The 2025 LA wildfires marked an unprecedented disaster, fueled by climate change and extreme weather conditions like hydroclimate whiplash and the powerful Santa Ana winds. The Palisades and Eaton fires became two of the most destructive in California's history, devastating homes, claiming lives, and displacing thousands. The scale of the destruction has left communities not only dealing with physical loss but also emotional and psychological trauma. In response, federal, state, and local agencies, along with countless community organizations, have mobilized to provide relief and support long-term recovery. As explained by Professor Kostick, (INSERT TAKEAWAYS FROM HER INTERVIEW) may help to mitigate and even prevent future fires. Despite the immense challenges, the resilience and solidarity of Los Angeles residents have been a shining example of human strength in the face of catastrophe. Here at Earth Avengers, we hope that an increase in awareness about the impacts of climate change will help prevent future disasters by inspiring collective action, promoting sustainable practices, and strengthening efforts to protect our communities. Thanks for tuning in, and remember: we can make a difference. Stay safe, stay aware, and keep fighting for our planet.