California wildfires: What we know about L.A.-area fires, maps, what caused them, who is affected and more

Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted last week and roared across the Los Angeles area, destroying hundreds of homes and killing at least 25 people, including some who died trying to prevent the fires from engulfing their homes.

A Los Angeles County fire official said an untold number of significant injuries were linked to two of the fires, and a city official in Los Angeles described the night of Jan. 7 as “one of the most devastating and terrifying” that she had seen in her corner of the city.

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“This is looking worse and worse the more information we get,” climate scientist Daniel Swain said.

Here’s what we know about the fires.

Where are the fires?

The Palisades Fire erupted the morning of Jan. 7 in Pacific Palisades, a Los Angeles neighborhood east of Malibu, as a brush fire. The blaze had grown to more than 23,713 acres by Sunday night, and remained at that acreage Wednesday afternoon, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. It was 19% contained, and Cal Fire said the fire likely damaged or destroyed 5,316 structures.

The Eaton Fire ignited hours after the Palisades Fire near a canyon in the sprawling national forest lands north of downtown Los Angeles. It had exploded to 14,117 acres and was 45 % contained by Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The agency said more than 7,800 structures were likely damaged or destroyed in the blaze.

The Hurst Fire started on Jan.7 in Sylmar, a suburban neighborhood north of San Fernando, as a brush fire. As of Wednesday afternoon it had expanded to 799 acres and was 97% contained, according to Cal Fire. Cal Fire said two structures were likely damaged or destroyed in the fire.

The Auto Fire erupted in Ventura County on Monday night, nearly a week after the first wave of Los Angeles blazes ignited. It spanned 61 acres and was 50% contained by Wednesday afternoon.

As firefighters were battling the largest blazes, additional fires broke out last week in the Los Angeles area. Crews were able to stop the forward spread and contain the blazes. As of Sunday evening, the Lidia, Archer, Woodley, Sunset and Kenneth fires were 100% contained and no longer considered active, according to Cal Fire. Between them, the fires scorched 1,539 acres.

How many people are affected?

At one point there were close to 200,000 people under evacuation orders as crews tried to battle back the fires. By Tuesday morning the number had dwindled to around 88,000 with another 84,800 in evacuation warning zones throughout Los Angeles County.

The fires have destroyed entire neighborhoods and blocks, leaving an unknown number of people homeless.

Have there been deaths and injuries?

As of Sunday evening, at least 25 people had died in the fires, according to the Los Angeles County officials.

The county medical examiner’s office is still investigating many of the deaths. The department noted that it cannot confirm human remains until it processes them at its facility.

At least 16 of the deaths were in the Eaton Fire and eight in the Palisades Fire, officials have said.

The medical examiner’s office said it could take weeks to confirm the identities of those killed.

Officials were just beginning to access areas for welfare checks and missing person reports on Thursday, and they warned that the death toll could grow.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said a significant number of people who did not heed evacuation orders have been injured in the Palisades Fire. He also said there have been significant injuries in the Eaton Fire.

How much damage have the fires done?

The insured losses from last week’s fires may exceed $20 billion, and total economic losses could reach $50 billion, according to estimates published by JPMorgan on Thursday.

Those losses would far exceed the $12.5 billion in insured damages from the 2018 Camp Fire, which until now was the costliest blaze in the country’s history, according to data from Aon.

What led to the fires?

The official cause of the fires has not been determined.

The combination of drought-like conditions — Southern California has had less than 10% of average rainfall since Oct. 1 — and powerful offshore winds that hit the region last week prompted fire weather that was, in the words of the National Weather Service, “about as bad as it gets.”

The agency issued a red flag warning — indicating an increased risk for fire danger — to 19 million people. Wind gusts topping 70 mph were recorded at several locations across the region.

Swain pointed to the weather whiplash California has experienced in recent years — lurching between drought and heavy rainfall — and said such swings are a key element of the fire weather gripping the region.

“It’s not just that drier conditions are perpetually more likely in a warming climate,” he said, according Inside Climate News. “It’s that this oscillation back and forth between states is something that is particularly consequential for wildfire risk in Southern California.”

When will the fire weather end?

Santa Ana winds gusted in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties Wednesday, triggering red flag warnings that lasted for much of the day but mostly expired across the region by 6 p.m.

Offshore Santa Ana winds are expected to continue diminishing throughout much of the area, the National Weather Service said, though a red flag warning will remain in effect through 3 p.m Thursday for the Western San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Susana Mountains and Interstate 5 corridor due to 15-25 mph winds that could gust up to 40 mph.

The winds were not as strong and destructive as last week’s winds that saw the start and spread of the two biggest fires, but dangerous fire conditions are still present, the weather service said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

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