How common are wildfires in California in January? We asked the experts

Fernanda Galan, The Sacramento Bee on Jan 8, 2025

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Several wildfires were burning in the Los Angeles area Wednesday, destroying more than 1,000 structures and forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate.

As of Wednesday, at least five people had died as a result of the Palisades Fire, which sparked Tuesday morning in Pacific Palisades, according to the California Department of Fire and Forestry.

Elsewhere in Los Angeles County, firefighters were battling blazes including the Eaton fire near Pasadena, the Hurst fire in Sylmar and the Woodley fire in the Sepulveda Basin.

Smoke from the wind-whipped Southern California wildfires could be seen from space, satellite video showed.

How common are wildfires in California in January? What causes wintertime blazes?

Here’s what we found out:

When is wildfire season in California?

While wildfire season in California typically starts in May and ends in November, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, it’s possible to see wildland fires year-round.

“The largest, deadliest and most destructive wildfires (tend) to occur in September and October,” said Janet Upton, former deputy director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

However, she added, climate conditions and extreme weather events are “pushing that out.”

Of the 20 most destructive wildfires in California history, four started during the month of September — including the Valley fire, which scorched a total of 76,067 acres in Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties in 2018, Cal Fire statistics show.

Seven of those devastating fires sparked in October, according to Cal Fire statistics. These include the Tubbs fire, which blackened 36,807 acres in Napa and Sonoma in 2017.

However, the most destructive fire in California history — the Camp fire — started in November 2018.

Sparked by power lines, the blaze burned 153,336 acres and 18,804 structures in Butte County. The Camp fire resulted in 85 deaths, making it California’s deadliest wildfire as well.

With the exception of Woolsey fire in Ventura County, which also started in November 2018, the rest of the wildfires on Cal Fire’s list began in July, August or December.

How common are wildfires in January?

While wildfires are relatively rare in California in January, they do happen.

According to Cal Fire, a total of 10 wildfires sparked across California in January 2021.

They included the Wolf fire, which scorched a total of 865 acres in Kern County, and the Erbes fire, which blackened 250 acres in Ventura County. Another January 2021 blaze, the Towsley fire, burned 184 acres in Los Angeles County.

The Colorado fire, which began in January 2022, burned 687 acres in Monterey County.

Why is Los Angeles area seeing fires in the winter?

Why is Southern California seeing so much wildfire activity in the winter?

“It’s really the the intensity of the winds and the dry conditions,” retired Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott said.

About 40% of California was under drought conditions as of Jan. 3, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

“Much of the southern half of California is trending back towards drought,” Pimlott said. “So you’ve got these already predisposed conditions of extremely dry vegetation, and now you’re overlaying very dry, intense winds. All of that’s combining to create this very intense fire behavior.”

“California has always had fires that are driven by critical fire weather,” the retired fire chief added, but shifting weather patterns are making wildfires more intense.

“The temperatures are gradually increasing,” he said. “These very subtle changes in weather patterns ... have a significant effect on the condition of vegetation, wind patterns, all of that. All of this combines to really start influencing this change.”

In coming years, Pimlott said he anticipates “an increase in fires, an increase in potential acres burned” and increased “potential impacts to communities.”

“The trend is continuing to be, over time, an increase in these kinds of wildfires,” he said.

How to prepare for wildfires

You can take measures to prepare your California home for wildfires before a major fire starts.

According to ReadyforWildfire.org, a resource guide from Cal Fire, your home can catch on fire from flying embers, direct flames from a fire or nearby burning home and radiant heat from burning plants and buildings.

You can retrofit your home with more fire-resistant materials by opting for metal, clay or tile materials for your roof.

Sealing off gaps between shingles and removing leaves and debris from your roof will also help decrease the risk of wildfire damage, Cal Fire said.

You should also create an evacuation plan that includes escape routes by foot and car, and make an emergency supply kit.

You can sign up online to get live updates about active wildfires from Cal Fire.

The agency provides real-time updates on where a wildfire is spreading and advice on how to prepare for an evacuation.

“These fires are going to occur, so we really have to work as individual homeowners and as communities together to make our communities more resilient,” Pimlott said.

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