Understanding How Massive the L.A. Fires Are

The scale of the infernos devastating Southern California is almost unimaginable.

In the span of just three weeks, more than two dozen fires have broken out across the region, cumulatively burning more than 57,000 acres, according to CAL FIRE, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as of the end of Monday, Jan. 27.

That’s an area nearly equivalent to Washington, D.C., which is about 43,700 acres, and Manhattan, N.Y., which is only about 14,600 acres, combined.

The Palisades fire, which broke out on Jan. 7 and is 95% contained as of Jan. 27, was the state’s first major fire of the year and the biggest with an incident area of over 23,000 acres. It has wreaked havoc on the Los Angeles County coastal community of Pacific Palisades that’s home to many celebrities as well as surrounding neighborhoods.

Read More: ‘Completely Overwhelming’: L.A. Fire Victims Describe Their Devastating Losses

The Eaton fire, which broke out later the same day and is centered further east in L.A. around the city of Altadena, has an incident area of over 14,000 acres.

And the Hughes fire, which broke out on Jan. 22 near Castaic Lake north of downtown L.A., has an incident area of over 10,000 acres.

Further south in San Diego County, the Border 2 fire, which broke out on Jan. 23 and is 55% contained as of Jan. 27, has an incident area of over 6,000 acres.

A number of smaller fires have broken out across L.A. and in nearby counties like Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura, as well as in San Diego. 

In total, more than 16,000 structures have been destroyed, according to CAL FIRE, and at least 29 people have been killed, according to the L.A. county medical examiner—so far. Driven by a confluence of factors including fierce winds, the flames have continued to expand.

Read More: L.A. Fires Show the Reality of Living in a World With 1.5°C of Warming

Still, these California conflagrations, while on track to be the costliest in U.S. history, are far from the largest, even in the state—a record held, per CAL FIRE, by the 2020 August Complex fire that torched more than a million acres.