The Los Angeles Wildfires: A Warning and Call To Action
Jennifer Zhu
The 2025 Southern California wildfires were some of the deadliest in the state’s history. While they serve as an unsettling preview of what lies ahead, they are also much-needed calls to action for decision-makers to build more sustainable and resilient infrastructure for the future.
Reuters, 2025
Climate Change and Natural Disasters
On January 7, 2025, a series of wildfires erupted in Los Angeles, quickly engulfing thousands of acres of land and spurring mass evacuations across the city. [1] Over the course of three weeks, more than 50,000 acres of land burned—an area larger than the city of Paris. [2] More than 15,000 structures were destroyed, and thousands of people were displaced as Los Angeles scrambled to begin rebuilding. [3]
The environmental conditions in Los Angeles this year were particularly wildfire-prone. Prolonged droughts stretched the dry season into the winter, [4] and this, combined with strong Santa Ana winds, [5] blew embers across the city faster than firefighters could put them out. While wildfires are not uncommon in California, the sheer scale and intensity of the January fires signal a troubling shift for the future.
Since 1990, scientists have warned that climate change would increase the risk of extreme weather events. [6] It is well documented that warmer global temperatures cause volatility in rainfall. [7] California experienced record high rainfall in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 water seasons, [8] which prompted the growth of new grasses, shrubs, and trees. In 2024, record low rainfall led to droughts, which dried out the newly grown vegetation, leaving it primed for ignition.
Extreme natural disasters due to climate change are no longer distant threats—they are happening now, with growing intensity. A few years ago, many believed that the worst effects of climate change would be felt first and most severely in developing countries, and that the western world was largely protected. [9] While this remains true, these recent fires prove that even the wealthiest regions of the wealthiest country in the world are not immune. The Pacific Palisades is one of Los Angeles’ most affluent neighborhoods; [10] it is becoming increasingly clear that climate change does not delineate safe zones.
Reports previously suggested that achieving net-zero emissions by 2030 or 2050 could help us avoid the worst consequences, but the devastation unfolding today makes it clear that it is no longer possible to avert climate disaster. [11] In 2023, Canada experienced its most destructive wildfire season in history. A combined 15 million hectares of land were burned—more than double the previous record set in 1989. [12] Scientists have estimated that the fires released five times more carbon into the atmosphere than Canada’s total annual emissions. [13] The Los Angeles fires, beyond releasing carbon into the atmosphere, will likely result in pollutants being leached from ash into groundwater or local water supplies. [14] These consequences highlight that natural disasters create domino effects, making future disasters more likely and more severe.
Bracing Ourselves for the Future
Given the timelines and scale of recent natural disasters, the conversation around climate change must shift from one of mitigation or prevention to harm reduction. The question is no longer just about stopping climate change, but about adapting to its consequences. Some homes designed and built with fire-resistant materials survived the Palisades Fire, proving that climate-conscious construction can mitigate damage. [15] The Government of Canada recently announced a $64 million investment in firefighting resources over the next three years, recognizing that extreme wildfires will only become more common. [16] However, the fact remains that most infrastructure in developed countries was not designed to withstand climate-related disasters. Roads, power grids, and housing developments remain extremely vulnerable to wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding.
For the areas that have already been hit by climate disaster, the hard question remains – how to rebuild. The reality is that the Pacific Palisades will almost certainly burn again in the future. Some Los Angeles residents who live in vulnerable areas have already chosen to move away. [17] Decision-makers and residents must now ask: how do we move forward?
An Opportunity for Meaningful Change
Even before the fires, California was struggling with a severe housing shortage. [18] Skyrocketing rents, restrictive zoning laws, and an overreliance on single-family homes have made affordable housing a critical issue. The destruction caused by the wildfires has exacerbated this crisis, displacing thousands of residents and further reducing available housing stock. [19] As California embarks on rebuilding efforts, it has a rare chance to rethink its housing regulation and shift toward more sustainable, climate-resilient urban planning. In times of crisis, windows of opportunity open to decision-makers for radical, systemic reform. California Governor Gavin Newson recently signed an executive order suspending zoning restrictions and permitting requirements to accelerate rebuilding efforts, overcoming decades of political inertia. [20] These proposed reforms, previously stalled due to bureaucratic inefficiency and lobbying, might finally gain traction in the wake of this disaster. A dedicated push towards dense, fire-resistant development today can mitigate future wildfire damage while simultaneously addressing the state’s housing crisis.
The recent wildfires in Los Angeles are not an isolated event. As climate change continues and accelerates, natural disasters will continue to strike both developing and developed countries with increasing frequency and intensity. These crises demand a proactive response, not just in emergency management but in long-term infrastructure planning. For local governments, the focus must shift toward making cities more climate-resilient and planning for a higher frequency of extreme weather events. Policymakers must seize this moment to enact long-overdue reforms in housing and land management.
The question now is no longer whether or when climate-related disasters will happen—it is how we choose to respond when they inevitably do. At the time of writing, several stakeholders and development companies are vying for control over Los Angeles’s rebuilding efforts, all with competing visions of reform. The choices made in the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires will shape the future of California’s cities and determine whether they remain vulnerable or emerge stronger and more resilient to the challenges that lie ahead. For countries that have been fortunate enough to avoid severe disasters, they have seen what is at stake. Now is the time to act.
Jennifer Zhu is a first-year law student at McGill. She previously completed a degree in Arts & Science with a minor in Computer Science at McMaster University. She is interested in the role of technology in climate change mitigation and the intersection between Indigenous rights and environmental revitalization. Special thanks to Jerod Miksza for his advice and assistance in the writing of this blog.
[1] Mary Gilbert & Monica Garrett, “Wildfires are breaking out in Southern California as the ‘most destructive windstorm’ in over a decade hits” (7 January 2025), online: <cnn.com/2025/01/07/weather/california-windstorm-fire-los-angeles-climate/index.html>.
[2] Andrew Hay & Brad Brooks, “After fires, Los Angeles gets moonshot moment to rebuild” (last modified 31 January 2025), online: <reuters.com/world/us/after-fires-los-angeles-gets-moonshot-moment-rebuild-2025-01-30>.
[3] Antonio Pequeño IV, “California Fires: Here's The Data Behind The Historic Blazes That Have Burned Through 40,000 Acres” (21 January 2025), online: <forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2025/01/21/california-fires-heres-the-data-behind-the-historic-blazes-that-have-burned-through-40000-acres>.
[4] Ming Pan, “Maps show how dry Southern California is, as L.A. wildfires burn” (10 January 2025), online: <cbsnews.com/news/southern-california-maps-dry-drought-la-wildfires-fire-risk>.
[5] Lisa Richwine & Michael Roy Blake “LA fires: Santa Ana hurricane-force winds could intensify wildfires” (15 January 2025), online: <reuters.com/world/us/los-angeles-firefighters-alert-return-extreme-winds-2025-01-14>.
[6] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change: The IPCC Scientific Assessment (1990), Report prepared for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change by Working Group I, J.T. Houghton et al, eds (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990) at 230-233.
[7] Daniel L Swain et al, “Hydroclimate volatility on a warming Earth” (2025) 6:1 Nat Rev Earth Environ 35 at 36.
[8] Michael Anderson, Hydroclimate Report Water Year 2022 (Sacramento: California Department of Water Resources, 2024) at 2; California Department of Water Resources Hydrology Section & Sustainable Groundwater Management Office, California Hydrology Update (Sacramento: California Department of Water Resources, 2025) at 2.
[9] Robert Mendelsohn, Ariel Dinar & Larry Williams, “The distributional impact of climate change on rich and poor countries” (2006) 11:2 Envt & Development Econs 159 at 173.
[10] Katherine Clarke & Nicole Friedman, “The Pacific Palisades Is Home to the Rich and Famous. Now They’re Being Forced to Flee.” (8 January 2025), online: <wsj.com/real-estate/luxury-homes/the-pacific-palisades-is-home-to-the-rich-and-famous-now-theyre-being-forced-to-flee-552fae26>.
[11] Albert Van Dijk et al, Global Water Monitor 2024 Summary Report (Canberra: Australian National University, 2025) at 54-55.
[12] Government of Canada, “Canada’s record-breaking wildfires in 2023: A fiery wake-up call” (last visited 12 Febuary 2025), online: <natural-resources.canada.ca/simply-science/canadas-record-breaking-wildfires-2023-fiery-wake-call/25303>.
[13] Brendan Byrne et al, “Carbon emissions from the 2023 Canadian wildfires” (2024) 633:8031 Nature 835 at 839.
[14] Aria Bendix, “Drinking water could be contaminated in L.A. County areas affected by wildfires, experts say” (14 January 2025), online: <nbcnews.com/science/science-news/drinking-water-contaminated-l-county-areas-affected-wildfires-experts-rcna187485>.
[15] Victoria Namkung, “‘It was built for this’: how design helped spare some homes from the LA wildfires” (17 January 2025), online: <theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/17/la-houses-survived-fire>.
[16] Natural Resources Canada, News Release, “Canada and Quebec Announce Major Investment in Wildfire Equipment” (last modified 29 January 2025), online: <canada.ca/en/natural-resources-canada/news/2025/01/canada-and-quebec-announce-major-investment-in-wildfire-equipment.html>.
[17] CBS News, “Climate scientist: ‘There's no place that's safe’” (19 January 2025) at XXm:XXs, online (video): <cbsnews.com/video/climate-scientist-theres-no-place-thats-safe>.
[18] Alex Bentz, “California Housing Affordability Tracker (4th Quarter 2024)” (15 January 2025), online: <lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/793>.
[19] Claire Wang, “Tenants demand protections as LA fires exacerbate housing crisis: “‘Huge source of stress’” (11 February 2025), online: <theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/11/housing-rent-protection-la-fires>.
[20] Governor of California, News Release, “Governor Newsom signs executive order to help Los Angeles rebuild faster and stronger” (12 January 2025), online: <gov.ca.gov/2025/01/12/governor-newsom-signs-executive-order-to-help-los-angeles-rebuild-faster-and-stronger>.