The Eaton Fire was a highly destructive

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is th ...

, Southern California. The fire began on the evening of January 7, 2025, in the

Eaton Canyon Eaton Canyon is a major canyon beginning at the Eaton Saddle near Mount Markham and San Gabriel Peak in the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles National Forest, United States. Its drainage flows into the Rio Hondo river and then into the Los A ...

in the

San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains ( es, Sierra de San Gabriel) are a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Transverse Ranges and lies between ...

, and was driven by powerful

Santa Ana winds The Santa Ana winds (sometimes devil winds) "Scholars who have looked into the name's origins generally agree that it derives from Santa Ana Canyon, the portal where the Santa Ana River -- as well as a congested Riverside (CA-91) Freeway -- leav ...

into foothill communities, particularly

Altadena Altadena () ("Alta", Spanish language, Spanish for "Upper", and "dena" from Pasadena, California, Pasadena) is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in the Verdugo Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, approximately 14 ...

. The fire killed at least 18 people and destroyed more than 9,000 buildings, becoming the fifth deadliest and the second most destructive wildfire in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

history. The cause of the fire is under investigation; news reports and lawsuits have focused on the possible involvement of power lines operated by electrical utility

Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International, is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 15 million people with electricity across a service territory of ap ...

. The fire was fully contained on January 31 after burning for 24 days. The Eaton Fire was one of eight

January 2025 Southern California wildfires From January 7 to 31, 2025, a series of 14 destructive wildfires affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area and San Diego County in California, United States. The fires were exacerbated by drought conditions, low humidity, a buildup of veg ...

, and burned simultaneously with the deadly and destructive

Palisades Fire The Palisades Fire was a wildfire that burned in Topanga State Park, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles, California on May 14, 2021. The fire burned a total of and was fully contained on May 26, 2021. Events T ...

in the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in ...

Background

A strong high-pressure system over the Great Basin created a steep northerly pressure gradient across Southern California. The system triggered powerful

, extremely dry

katabatic winds A katabatic wind (named from the Greek word κατάβασις ''katabasis'', meaning "descending") is a drainage wind, a wind that carries high-density air from a higher elevation down a slope under the force of gravity. Such winds are sometim ...

that develop when cooler, dense inland air is funneled through mountain passes and canyons toward the warmer coastal regions. At the same time, the Southern Coast had experienced "eight months without any measurable rainfall," and much of the region had fallen into moderate drought conditions. The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' quoted a battalion chief for the

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsi ...

(CAL FIRE) that the conditions were "the perfect recipe for a large wildfire". The

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations and the public for the ...

(NWS) issued red flag warnings on the morning of Monday, January 6, effective through the following Thursday evening, for multiple regions including the Malibu coast, Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, and the San Gabriel, San Fernando, and Santa Clarita valleys. The NWS predicted a "life-threatening" windstorm, and Santa Ana wind gusts were forecasted to reach speeds of , with some peak gusts anticipated to reach in mountainous areas. Residents were urged to "use extreme caution with anything that can spark a wildfire" and for those near forests to be prepared to evacuate.

Progression

Angeles National Forest firefighters during initial attack of the Eaton Firepng

The fire began on January 7, 2025, at around 6:18 p.m. PST near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive. By 6:26 p.m., firefighters on Canyon Close Road in Pasadena reported via radio that the fire had spread to and was burning beneath high-tension power lines. By 6:33 p.m., firefighters there were reporting flying embers, which were setting structures on fire nearly distant. Three night-flying helicopters with the

Los Angeles County Fire Department The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) provides firefighting services as well as technical rescue services, hazardous materials response services and emergency medical response services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County ...

(LACoFD) had received orders to head to the Eaton Fire at 6:23 p.m. and arrived at about 6:36 p.m., 18 minutes after the fire was reported. They intended to drop water on it but, buffeted by ferocious updrafts and downdrafts, aborted the operation at 6:45 p.m. One helicopter crew remained on the scene for 39 more minutes to advise ground crews on the spread of the fire. It rapidly expanded to over by 12:07 a.m., fueled by a strong Santa Ana wind event, with wind gusts of up to reported at the nearby

Mount Lukens Mount Lukens is a mountain peak of the San Gabriel Mountains, in Los Angeles County, Southern California. Geography It is in the Sunland-Tujunga community within the northeast corner of the city of Los Angeles, above the Crescenta Valley. The su ...

Truck Trail north of

La Cañada Flintridge LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...

. By 6:30 a.m. on January 8, the fire had grown to over , with 0% containment. The fire continued to grow quickly, and by 10:36 a.m. was over in area, remaining 0% contained. In the afternoon on January 9, the fire began to approach Mount Wilson with still 0% containment until the following day. By 8:49 a.m. on January 12, authorities announced the fire was 27% contained. As of 7:00 am the next day, 3,408 firefighting personnel had been assigned, along with 16 helicopters, 375 engines, 29 bulldozers, 50 crews, and 90

water tenders A water tender is a type of firefighting apparatus that specialises in the transport of water from a water source to a fire scene.

Cause

According to CAL FIRE, the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Residents of a home abutting Eaton Canyon who were among the first people to report the fire to authorities told ''

Pasadena Now Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its ...

'' that the fire began in proximity to electrical

transmission towers A transmission tower, also known as an electricity pylon or simply a pylon in British English and as a hydro tower in Canadian English, is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. In electrical g ...

above the canyon. Residents affected by the fire later sued public utility

, alleging that eyewitnesses had observed faulty power lines and that the company failed to de-energize transmission lines despite a

red flag warning A red flag warning is a forecast warning issued by the National Weather Service in the United States to inform the public, firefighters, and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for wildland fire combustion, and rapid spread. After d ...

issued by the National Weather Service. This alleged cause is based on

photogrammetry Photogrammetry is the science and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment through the process of recording, measuring and interpreting photographic images and patterns of electromagnetic radiant ima ...

analysis of multiple

CCTV Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly tr ...

and witness videos by Sunridge law group's "LA fire justice", lead by

Mikal Watts Mikal Watts (born July 17, 1967 in Corpus Christi) is an American attorney from San Antonio, Texas and a prolific donor to the Texas and national Democratic Party, and candidates running for office as Democrats. He formed an exploratory committee t ...

. It has been reported that the power lines suspected to have caused the fire were overdue for repair.

Impact

Casualties

, the death toll from the Eaton Fire included 18 people with 24 people missing. All of the 18 victims confirmed dead lived west of Lake Avenue, the predominately black neighborhood in Altadena that received emergency evacuation orders hours after those in east Altadena.

Evacuations and closures

As of 4 a.m. PST on January 8, 52,314 residents and 20,890 structures had been placed under evacuation orders, with a further 46,847 residents and 18,051 structures placed under evacuation warnings. Numerous homes and cars in Altadena were destroyed; up to "90 to 95 percent" of Altadena residents had been evacuated as of 7 a.m. One report shows west Altadena received emergency evacuation orders at 3 AM, hours after residents in East Altadena did. On January 8, the estimated number of evacuees increased to over 100,000. By the afternoon of January 8, over 100 animals had been received at the Pasadena Humane

animal shelter An animal shelter or pound is a place where stray, lost, abandoned or surrendered animals – mostly dogs and cats – are housed. The word "pound" has its origins in the animal pounds of agricultural communities, where stray livestock would ...

, many of which had received burn injuries. The fire and the resulting firefighting efforts contaminated the water supply of neighborhoods served by the Pasadena Water and Power Department and the Foothill Municipal Water District. The

Pasadena Unified School District The Pasadena Unified School District is a unified school district that is responsible for the schools of Pasadena, California. , it has four high schools, five middle schools, three K–8 schools and 15 K–5 elementary schools. The number of ...

, the

Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the 2nd largest public school district in ...

, and 23 other surrounding school districts announced the closure of all schools in those districts for Wednesday, January 8 in response to the fire. Closures for January 8 were also announced by

Pasadena City College Pasadena City College (PCC) is a public community college in Pasadena, California. History Pasadena City College was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. From 1928 to 1953, it operated as a four-year junior college, combining the l ...

Fuller Theological Seminary Fuller Theological Seminary is an interdenominational Evangelical Christian seminary in Pasadena, California, with regional campuses in the western United States. It is egalitarian in nature. Fuller consistently has a student body that compr ...

, and the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

. Many of these closures were extended to Thursday, January 9, and Friday, January 10. 20250113-dc-10-air-tanker-eaton-fire-0

Flames on Mount Wilson may have affected local broadcast signals;

Mount Wilson Observatory The Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO) is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson, a peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles. The observ ...

had to be evacuated. Local broadcasters

KLOS Klos or KLOS may refer to: * Klos (surname) * Klos, Dibër, a town in eastern Albania ** Harketari Klos KF, a defunct football club based in Klos, Dibër * Klos, Elbasan, a village in central Albania * Klos, Mallakastër, a village in south-central ...

-FM,

KABC-TV KABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains ...

, and

PBS SoCal KOCE-TV (channel 50) is a PBS member television station licensed to Huntington Beach, California, United States, serving the Los Angeles area. It is owned by the Public Media Group of Southern California alongside the market's secondary PBS membe ...

temporarily lost over-the-air signals on January 9. The NASA

Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center in the City of La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States. Founded in the 1930s by Caltech researchers, JPL is owned by NASA ...

(JPL) was also evacuated, with operations for the

NASA Deep Space Network The NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) is a worldwide network of American spacecraft communication ground segment facilities, located in the United States (California), Spain (Madrid), and Australia (Canberra), that supports NASA's interplanetar ...

moved to a back-up command center offsite. By January 10, a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew was implemented for the evacuated areas of Altadena and roadblocks into the area were put in place by the California National Guard.

Response

Beginning on January 10, thousands of volunteers and donators convened at the parking lot of

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

to assist those displaced and impacted by the fire. Misinformation on social media regarding the fire spread was common. For instance, CalFire reported that misinformation circulating on Facebook falsely claiming individuals could come to California to join clean up crews.

Structures destroyed

The number of destroyed structures was reported as at least 7,500 as of January 16, including 4,356 single-family homes, 77 multi-family buildings and 123 commercial buildings. The number of structures destroyed was updated to 9,418, with an additional 1,071 structures damaged, as of January 21. The fire destroyed residential sections of

which were settled by African-Americans who moved west in the 1920s and 1930s, during the Great Migration, and had created a working and middle-class neighborhood that had persisted for over a century. The fire destroyed nearly half of all black households in Altadena.

Popular structures and landmarks destroyed

Among the historic or culturally significant structures destroyed are: * Altadena Community Church * Altadena Golf Course Clubhouse * Altadena Hardware, an 80-year-old store * Altadena Town & Country Club *

Andrew McNally House The Andrew McNally House in Altadena, California was the home of Andrew McNally (1838–1904), co-founder and president of the Rand McNally publishing company. The Queen Anne Style house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. M ...

* Bunny Museum * Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Eaton Canyon Natural Area Park * Farnsworth Park * Fox's Restaurant * Holmes House * Jane's Cottage/ Jane's Village * Little Red Hen Coffee Shop * Masjid Al-Taqwa Mosque * Nature Friends Clubhouse in

Sierra Madre Sierra Madre (Spanish, 'mother mountain range') may refer to: Places and mountains Mexico *Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona *Sierra Madre Oriental, a mountain range in northeastern Mexico *S ...

* Odyssey Charter School - South * Park Planned Homes, a 1940s development by

Gregory Ain Gregory Samuel Ain (March 28, 1908 – January 9, 1988) was an American architect active in the mid-20th century. Working primarily in the Los Angeles area, Ain is best known for bringing elements of modern architecture to lower- and medium- ...

that was one of the first Modernist housing developments in the United States * Pasadena Church of Christ *

Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center (PJTC) is a Conservative Jewish congregation, synagogue and community center located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. History Attempts to organize Pasadena’s Jewish community occurred in 190 ...

* Pasadena Waldorf School, including Scripps Hall * Pauline Lowe Residence, a Modernist house by

Harwell Hamilton Harris Harwell Hamilton Harris, (July 2, 1903 – November 18, 1990) was a modernist American architect, noted for his work in Southern California that assimilated European and American influences. He lived and worked in North Carolina from 1962 un ...

* Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Christian School * Saint Mark's School (except for preschool) * St. Luke Medical Center (outbuildings only) * St. Mark's Episcopal Church * Straub House, residence of architect Calvin Straub * Theosophical Library Center * The Terraces at Park Marino Senior Living Complex * William D. Davies Memorial Building at Charles S. Farnsworth Park *

Zane Grey Estate The Zane Grey Estate is a historic house in Altadena, California. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. The main house was built by Chicago business machine manufacturer Arthur Herbert Woodward. Designed by archite ...

* Zorthian Ranch 20250212-eaton-fire-burn-scar-chaparral-altadena

Clean up

LA County Public Works Department, the EPA, and the Army Corp of Engineers are responsible for the debris clean up effort. Altadena Green is a group of locals trying to preserve as many trees as possible in the affected area, as Phase 2 of the debris cleanup may threaten to taken down trees that could otherwise be saved.

Litigation

On January 13, 2025, four lawsuits were filed against

(SCE), alleging that the company had "violated public safety and utility codes and was negligent in its handling of power safety shut-offs" during the fire weather event, according to ''

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

''. On January 16, the family of an Eaton Fire victim sued SCE for wrongful death, also alleging negligence in SCE's failure to deactivate utilities. On January 17, Nadrich Law Corporation filed a lawsuit against SCE on behalf of four households whose residences were destroyed in the Eaton Fire. On March 5, Los Angeles County, Pasadena and the City of Sierra Madre filed a lawsuit against SCE, seeking compensation for losses caused by the fire.

References

External links

Eaton Fire Recovery Information
– an up-to-date map of damage assessments to every building in the fire area {{California wildfires by deaths 2025 in Los Angeles Altadena, California January 2025 Southern California wildfires Wildfires in Los Angeles County, California