All wildfires burning in Southern California were largely contained as of Thursday morning, even after a new fire ignited in San Luis Obispo County on Wednesday afternoon.
Why It Matters
Multiple wildfires continue to burn in Southern California amid unnaturally dry conditions, including the two largest blazes in Los Angeles, the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Although firefighters have almost completely contained the flames, the fires have consumed thousands of acres. At least 29 people have died from the blazes, and thousands have been forced to flee their homes.
What To Know
As of Thursday morning, there were five active wildfires in Southern California. They are the Palisades fire in Los Angeles County, the Eaton fire in Los Angeles County, the Hughes fire in Los Angeles County, the Border 2 fire in San Diego County and the Rosa fire in San Luis Obispo County.
Palisades Fire
This fire ignited on January 7 and quickly grew to encompass thousands of acres in Los Angeles County. Firefighters battled strong winds and exceptionally dry conditions, both of which contributed to the rapidly spreading flames.
Several weeks later, firefighters have brought the fire to under 97 percent containment. The blaze spans 23,448 acres.
Eaton Fire
The Eaton fire also ignited January 7 and spread quickly. It is 99 percent contained, and its size reached 14,021 acres.
Hughes Fire
The Hughes fire ignited on the morning of January 22. It reached 10,425 acres, and firefighters now have it 98 percent contained.
Border 2 Fire
The Border 2 fire ignited near the California-Mexico border on January 23. It reached 6,625 acres and is 100 percent contained.
Rosa Fire
The Rosa fire is the blaze with the least containment, but it is also the smallest fire. It ignited in San Luis Obispo County on Wednesday afternoon. Now at 105 acres, it is 75 percent contained. The most recent update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said that firefighters are on the scene working toward 100 percent containment.
What People Are Saying
Cal Fire said in a situation summary of the Border 2 Fire: "No fire activity was observed today. A few sprinkles fell on the fire this morning, but skies were mostly clear throughout the day. Fire crews spent much of the day patrolling for any hot spots and picking up trash and hose from the fire line. There is no anticipated fire growth going forward, and equipment and personnel are being released from the incident."
National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist James Brotherton told Newsweek: "No red flag warnings are expected for the next week or so. We have a rainstorm expected next week, coming in Tuesday and continuing through Wednesday, with rain likely for much of the area from San Luis Obispo County down through L.A. County."
Brotherton said the rainstorm would bring up to 2 inches to northern areas and around half an inch to an inch to Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
What Happens Next
Many wildfires had rapid growth because of dry fuels in Southern California, which were a result of an exceptional, and in some places record-breaking, dry start to the region's wet season.
Over the next two weeks, the eight- to 14-day precipitation outlook from the NWS Climate Prediction Center anticipates that Southern California might be in for more abnormally dry weather, whereas the northern half of the state is expecting above-average precipitation during the same time frame.
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