US EditionPublished • loading... • Updated
Los Angeles fires 12 months on: What does research tell us?
Research shows structure separation and removal of combustible materials near homes could reduce wildfire damage by up to 17%, with over 16,000 structures lost in the 2025 fires.
- On January 5, 2026, researchers reviewed causes and impacts one year after dozens of fires, including the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fire, that killed 31 people and razed more than 18,000 buildings in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
- Scientists warn that climate-driven drying and gusts up to almost 160 km/h combined with Santa Ana winds created hazardous fire behaviour in Los Angeles.
- Investigations by IIBHS found that connective fuels like decks and bins, and limited structure separation , increased wildfire vulnerability, with 25% fuel coverage in the 1.2 m zone causing 87%–100% damage.
- California moved to speed implementation of Zone 0, limiting flammable materials near homes after fires, with the California Governor directing finalisation by end of 2025 despite public debate pushing completion to 2026.
- Experts say a systems approach is essential as the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety finds neighbourhood-wide resilience reduces ignitions, while Berkeley Fire Research Lab shows retrofitting and defensible space double home survival.
Insights by Ground AI
15 Articles
15 Articles
On the Frantic Front Lines of the Los Angeles Fires With Governor Gavin Newsom
In an exclusive excerpt from his new book, Firestorm, MSNow senior political and national reporter Jacob Soboroff looks back at covering the wildfires that ravaged his community—and his childhood home.
·United States
Read Full Article
'Everything I knew burned down around me': A journalist looks back on LA's fires
Jacob Soboroff was raised in the Pacific Palisades and reported live from the area as it was devastated by fire in 2025. In Firestorm, Soboroff offers a minute-by-minute account of the catastrophe.
·Washington, United States
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left6Leaning Right2Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Left
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
60% Left
L 60%
C 20%
R 20%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
