Eaton Fire

The fire began on the evening of January 7, 2025, in the Eaton Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains, and was driven by powerful Santa Ana winds into foothill communities, particularly Altadena.

The cause of the fire is under investigation; news reports and lawsuits have focused on the possible involvement of power lines operated by electrical utility Southern California Edison.

A strong high-pressure system over the Great Basin created a steep northerly pressure gradient across Southern California.

[4] At the same time, the Southern Coast had experienced "eight months without any measurable rainfall",[5] and much of the region had fallen into moderate drought conditions.

[5] The National Weather Service (NWS) issued red flag warnings on the morning of Monday, January 6, effective through Thursday evening, for multiple regions including the Malibu coast, Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, and the San Gabriel, San Fernando, and Santa Clarita valleys.

[1] By 6:26 p.m., firefighters on Canyon Close Road in Pasadena reported via radio that the fire had spread to 10 acres (4.0 ha) and was burning beneath high-tension power lines.

[18][19] This alleged cause is based on photogrammetry analysis of multiple CCTV and witness videos by Sunridge law group's "LA fire justice", lead by Mikal Watts.

[27] Closures for January 8 were also announced by Pasadena City College, Fuller Theological Seminary, and the California Institute of Technology.

For instance, CalFire reported that misinformation circulating on Facebook falsely claiming individuals could come to California to join clean up crews.

[40] The fire destroyed residential sections of Altadena which were settled by African-Americans who moved west in the 1920s and 1930s, during the Great Migration, and had created a working and middle-class neighborhood that had persisted for over a century.

[60] The NAACP partnered with law firm Singleton Schreiber and also filed a lawsuit on January 16, 2025 on behalf of plaintiffs whose home was completely destroyed by the Eaton Fire.

Angeles National Forest firefighters during initial attack of the Eaton Fire
Smoke from the fire on January 8, with smoke from the Palisades Fire to the southwest
The Eaton Fire from Woodland Hills in Los Angeles
Law enforcement and the National Guard just south of Altadena, January 10
A DC-10 Air Tanker drops fire retardant , January 13
A false-color image showing areas burned by the Eaton Fire, captured by NASA's AVIRIS -3
A destroyed home and vehicle in northern Altadena
The ruins of Altadena Community Church
Burned chaparral on the outskirts of Altadena on February 11, approximately one month after the fire
The Little Tujunga hotshot crew checks for hot spots
Angeles National Forest firefighter at the Eaton Fire on 21 January 2025