California Wildfires

On January 7th, 2025, wildfires located in Los Angeles, California began to burn, scourging homes and urban areas throughout the city. After the initial appearance of the Los Angeles fires, other areas in California faced similar blazes including San Diego, Malibu, Topanga, and Pasadena. Although the cause of the fires remain unknown, many professionals including AP News suspect a mix of dry conditions, arson, and issues involving utility lines. Each different cause could change due to the location of the fire.

With the extensive size and rate in which the fires spread throughout California, many local heroes make their way to help the affected communities. As firefighters from all throughout California became outnumbered by the extremity of the fires, many local citizens came together to aid the struggling fighters by fighting the fires themselves. Along with the concerned locals, other first responders came to contribute to helping the affected communities or fighting the blazes first hand. Along with these helpers, more unlikely heroes emerged such as current inmates and incarcerated people who come and work in dangerous conditions. AP News estimates over 1,100 current inmates who helped control and extinguish the fires. With all of the volunteers’ help, the fires, though not fully extinguished, are now contained and workers and volunteers alike slowly work to extinguish what remains of the controlled areas. 

Each fighter worked numerous hours in an attempt to deplete the fires. After attempting to enter the fires and fight from the inside, new solutions were proposed. One of these solutions involved numerous helicopters and planes taking to the skies and dropping water onto the fires. A more extreme version entered the fires not too long after called air tankers which, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, allowed thousands of gallons of either water or fire retardant to drop over the fires while simultaneously flying over and mapping the flames. According to CNN, after working in the skies and on the ground with little progress, President Donald Trump made the decision to release 2.2 billion gallons of water out of numerous California Reservoirs in an attempt to finally stop the fires. 

Although many communities throughout California know the struggle of rebuilding due to previous wildfires, many people struggle to recover from the current blazes and their aftermath. According to NBC News, twenty nine people died in the fires and many struggle health wise due to the fumes and smoke that consumed the air. While many citizens maintained good health due to emergency evacuations, most of these people returned home to find no home at all. Many fires blazed through homes destroying property, money, food, water, and any possessions that the affected needed to survive and rebuild, leaving victims with nothing and for some, nowhere to go. 

Although the damages and fires occurred in California, the Las Vegas community and even Sierra Vista High School students can help the affected communities. Sierra Vista High School’s student council and band program hosted a fundraiser taking place from January 20-31 where students and staff alike donated non-perishable food, toiletries, diapers, baby formula, first aid kits, and more. Other opportunities include donating to the Red Cross and other establishments such as Project Hope.