Palisades Fire already ranks among worst in California history. Just how destructive is it?
Two of the wildfires burning in Los Angeles County are among the most destructive blazes in California history, according to fire officials.
On Monday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection added the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire to its list of the 20 most destructive wildfires ever recorded in the state..
Collectively, the two Southern California fires have ripped through more than 35,000 acres, damaging at least 10,000 structures and killing five people.
Smoke from the wildland fires could be seen from space.
How do the wildfires compare to California’s worst wildfires on record? Here’s how the numbers stack up:
How big is the Palisades Fire? What about the Eaton Fire?
The Palisades Fire began in the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 7, near Pacific Palisades, a coastal residential area in northwestern Los Angeles, according to Cal Fire.
As of Friday afternoon, the wildfire had burned a total of 21,317 acres, the agency said, blackening an area significantly bigger than Manhattan in New York City, which stretches about 14,600 acres.
A total of 5,316 structures had been “likely damaged and destroyed” in the fire, Cal Fire said Friday via X.
Three people had died as a result of the blaze, and 37,000 people living in the area were ordered to evacuate.
The Eaton Fire, which sparked Tuesday near Pasadena, had scorched a total of 13,690 acres and damaged at least 5,000 buildings as of Friday afternoon.
As of Friday, the fire had killed two people, Cal Fire said.
The Eaton Fire was just 3% contained as of Friday, while the Palisades Fire was 8% contained.
The causes of both wildfires remained under investigation as of Friday.
How do Los Angeles wildfires compare to California’s worst?
In terms of sheer acreage, the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire lag behind many of the major wildfires in California history.
California’s largest wildfire to date was the August Complex Fire, which burned a total of 1,032,648 acres across seven counties in 2020.
In contrast, the 20th largest wildfire in state history — 2008’s Klamath Theater Complex Fire — scorched 192,036 acres in Siskiyou County, Cal Fire said.
According to Cal Fire, these are the five largest wildfires in California history:
- August Complex Fire: 1,032,648 acres
- Dixie Fire: 963,309 acres
- Mendocino Complex Fire: 459,123 acres
- Park Fire: 429,603 acres
- SCU Lightning Complex Fire: 396,625 acres
How destructive are wildfires compared to others?
2018’s Camp Fire is considered California’s most destructive wildfire overall, according to Cal Fire.
The 153,336-acre wildfire destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings and killed 85 people.
When it comes to property damage alone, the Palisades Fire is the third-most destructive wildfire in state history, according to Cal Fire records.
The Eaton Fire lands in fourth place.
Here are the five most destructive fires in California history in terms of structures destroyed, according to Cal Fire:
- Camp Fire: 153,336 structures
- Tubbs Fire: 5,636 structures
- Palisades Fire: 5,316 structures
- Eaton Fire: 5,000 structures
- Tunnel Fire: 2,900 structures
How deadly are Southern California wildfires?
As of Friday, at least 11 people had died in the wildfires sweeping the Los Angeles area, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office.
That death poll puts the Palisades and Eaton fires below the top 20 deadliest wildfires in California history.
Here are the five deadliest fires in California history, according to Cal Fire:
- Camp Fire: 85 deaths
- Griffith Park Fire: 29 deaths
- Tunnel Fire: 25 deaths
- Tubbs Fire: 22 deaths
- North Complex Fire: 15 deaths
This story was originally published January 10, 2025 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Palisades Fire already ranks among worst in California history. Just how destructive is it?."
