View gallery Image Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images On January 7, 2025, a major wildfire erupted in Pacific Palisades and quickly tore through surrounding neighborhoods in Los Angeles County. Fueled by extreme Santa Ana winds and bone-dry conditions, the blaze became one of the most destructive in the city's history, scorching tens of thousands of acres and leveling thousands of homes. The city and state responded swiftly: a local emergency was declared by Los Angeles, and Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for California.