[5] The fires were exacerbated by drought conditions, low humidity, a buildup of vegetation from the previous winter, and hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, which in some places reached 100 miles per hour (160 km/h; 45 m/s).

[31][32][33] By late December 2024, most of Los Angeles County had entered moderate drought status, creating heightened fire vulnerability due to desiccated vegetation in what was traditionally the region's wet season.

[38] Droughts punctuated by periods of heavy rain, such as the rainy seasons in 2022–23 and 2023–24, result in the sudden growth of grasses, shrubs, and trees that rapidly dry out and remain as fuel for wildfires.

[58] The PDS warning was issued for predicted damaging northeastern and eastern wind gusts between 55 to 70 miles per hour (89 to 113 km/h) with continued low humidity conditions, which the report stated could lead to "extreme fire behavior" and "long range spotting".

[69] Professor Greg Pierce, a scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, further stated that most water systems were designed for fighting urban fires, not fast-moving wildfires.

[80] The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a temporary stop to ground activities at the Hollywood Burbank Airport, following strong wind gusts forcing multiple go-arounds.

[82] Rory Sykes, a 32-year-old British and Australian citizen with cerebral palsy, died of carbon monoxide poisoning during the Palisades Fire, which destroyed his cottage on his mother's Malibu estate.

[155][156] His mother, Shelley Sykes told the press that failed emergency calls and the need to leave the property to alert firefighters delayed the response, blaming local infrastructure issues for the death.

[167] Multiple celebrities' houses burned down in the wildfires, including the homes of Jhené Aiko, Tyra Banks, Eric Braeden, Jeff Bridges, Adam Brody, Barbara Corcoran, Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, Empress Of, Mel Gibson, Dawes member Griffin Goldsmith, John Goodman, Bryan Greenburg, Harvey Guillén, Yolanda Hadid, Ed Harris, Fat Tony, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Paris Hilton, Anthony Hopkins, Taran Killam, Ricki Lake, Sandra Lee, Eugene Levy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cameron Mathison, Leighton Meester, Mandy Moore, Brad Paisley, Photay, John C. Reilly, Josh Ruben, Zachary Cole Smith, Cobie Smulders, Candy Spelling, Carel Struycken, Miles Teller, Milo Ventimiglia, and Diane Warren.

[168][159][169][170][171][172][173][174][175][176][177] Madlib's home in Los Angeles was also reportedly burned down, with the producer losing "decades of music and equipment" in the process; a Donorbox crowdfunding campaign was subsequently started to help him and his family.

[193] Winds blew wildfire smoke across Los Angeles, leading to several "very unhealthy" air quality index readings of over 200, with the PM2.5 of the Harrison ES station reaching 184.1 μg/m3, or 36.8 times the annual World Health Organization guideline value.

Co-founder and chief meteorologist of Weather Underground Jeff Masters predicted that up to thousands of individuals could die prematurely due to even short-term exposure to the wildfires' smoke.

[228][229][230] The PGA Tour relocated the Genesis Invitational from Riviera Country Club, which was not damaged in the Palisades Fire despite its proximity, to Torrey Pines Golf Course, retaining the dates of February 13–16.

[231] The Weeknd postponed the release of his sixth album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, which has as its lead single the song "Dancing in the Flames",[232] and canceled an accompanying concert at the Rose Bowl out of "respect and concern" for the residents of Los Angeles County.

[253][254] Fox News host Jesse Watters linked the crises to the removal of the dams, while RT said their dismantling "is now being blamed for the shortage of water available to fight LA fires".

[278] Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that the curfew has been established to prevent looting in the mandatory evacuated areas, stating that "we do not want anyone taking advantage of our residents that have already been victimized".

[293] The following day, Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan offered to "deploy 250 firefighters, aircraft equipment, and other resources as early as tonight" as part of a coordinated effort with Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec.

[306] On January 15, 2025, the Japanese government pledged to provide $2 million through the Red Cross to "establish evacuation sites and offer food and psychological support to those affected by the fires".

He accused "so-called leaders and partisan media outlets" of spreading misinformation, whom he stated was dividing the country "for their own political gain" and causing distress to the fire's victims.

[316][317] On January 12, while being interviewed on the Pod Save America podcast, Newsom stated that he was ordering an inquiry to determine why several fire hydrants ran out of water during the firefighting response, elaborating that he kept "getting different answers" from Los Angeles officials.

[323] Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' absence during President Biden's visit to Santa Monica to assess fire damage drew criticism, including from former Obama administration spokesperson Tommy Vietor.

The article reported that Bass claimed that the visit was conducted at the Biden administration's request, that she maintained "constant contact" with officials as the wildfires grew, and that she took a military plane back to Los Angeles as the quickest possible trip.

[330] Former Rams tackle and Super Bowl winner Andrew Whitworth spoke to the State Farm Stadium crowd at the beginning of the contest talking about the impact of the wildfires, the bravery of first responders and firefighters, and the resiliency of LA's residents in uniting and rebuilding.

"The Los Angeles Kings, during their five-game road trip, wore patches and stickers honoring the LAFD as well as their opponents they played against: Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Seattle Kraken.

Despite the fact Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul were playing for the Spurs, the two gave the children of Lakers coach JJ Redick their game jerseys, as the two boys lost their basketball collection in the Palisades Fire.

[336] The Los Angeles Clippers gave away rally towels during their home game against the Miami Heat featuring the words "LA Strong" and a blue image of the state of California.

[338] Several celebrities including Taylor Swift, Leonardo DiCaprio, Eva Longoria, Beyoncé, Paris Hilton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner, and Halle Berry donated money to various organizations in order to help the victims affected by the wildfires.

[342][343] On January 28, governor Gavin Newsom launched "LA Rises", a fundraising initiative in collaboration with the private sector to help rebuild areas affected by the fires in addition to $2.5 billion in state relief.

[344] Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese said the footage from Los Angeles would be shocking for Australians facing wildfires and showed the impact of climate change on fire seasons.

[350] Several residents of Altadena filed four lawsuits against Southern California Edison, alleging that the Eaton Fire was started by faulty power infrastructure owned by the company.