As Los Angeles is scorched by the intense flames of several wildfires, destroying thousands of homes and having already claimed five lives, cell service has reportedly dropped out across much of the city.
As a result, TV crews are using SpaceX's Starlink to broadcast their coverage of the fire, according a live news report from FOX11, with Elon Musk having now announced that Starlink terminals will be provided to areas of LA with no service.
"SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals to affected areas in LA tomorrow morning," Musk posted on X last night.
Wildfires can destroy cell towers, power lines and other critical communication infrastructure, which can cause service outages.
Additionally, during emergencies like wildfires, surging usage as people phone for help or call to check on loved ones can overload networks, causing slower speeds or dropped connections.
How does Starlink Work?
Starlink, developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX, is a satellite internet service designed to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet around the world, especially in remote or underserved areas.
The system uses a "constellation" of thousands of tiny satellites in Low-Earth Orbit—about 342 miles above the ground—-which communicate with each other using lasers.
These satellites' have a lower altitude compared to traditional communication satellites—occupying geostationary orbits around 22,000 miles above Earth—affording them reduced latency, or the delay in data transmission across a network.
These satellites beam data down to receivers on the ground, allowing people to access the internet.
How could Starlink Help in the LA Wildfires?
Unlike traditional cell towers or cables, Starlink relies on satellites, making it unaffected by terrestrial fire damage or power outages. This means that it can provide internet access to people who need it, including news outlets, emergency services and evacuation centers.
Musk previously made the Starlink internet service free for people living in areas affected by Helene and Milton, but only until the end of 2024, and this access also hinged on having a Starlink receiver to access the Starlink network, which costs $349.
Which areas have been affected by the LA Wildfires?
The largest of the blazes, the Palisades fire in the Pacific Palisades, reached 17,234 acres, or around 27 square miles, as of 11 p.m. local time lastnight. This blaze alone is now considered the most destructive in Los Angeles city history.
The Eaton Fire near Altadena has grown to 10,600 acres in area and is responsible for all five deaths reported so far.
The Hurst Fire in Sylmar is 855 acres in area, while the 348-acre Lidia fire burns near Acton and the 43-acre Sunset fire scorches the Hollywood Hills, having only started yesterday evening. All of the blazes except the Lidia and Hurst fires are "0 percent contained", with Lidia currently 40 percent contained by firefighters, and Hurst only 10 percent contained.
Over 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate across the city, and the Palisades fire alone has destroyed over 1,000 structures, including the homes of several celebrities. As much as 75 percent of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood has been destroyed by the fires, ABC7 reports.
"Extreme fire behavior, including short and long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire. Winds gusts up to 60 mph are expected to continue through Thursday, potentially aiding in further fire activity and suppression efforts," CALFIRE said in a Palisades fire status update.
These fires have been exacerbated by the powerful Santa Ana winds, which are fanning the flames and making it much easier for the blazes to rapidly grow and spread, burning the dry vegetation across the city following a low-precipitation winter.
"The strong winds also transports embers ahead of the fire front' leading to new ignitions," Stefan Doerr, director of the Centre for Wildfire Research at Swansea University, told Newsweek.
"Embers can be transported over long distances, igniting new fires even miles ahead of the main fire."
How is Starlink linked to SpaceX?
Starlink is owned, developed, and operated by SpaceX. SpaceX uses its reusable rockets, primarily the Falcon 9, to launch batches of Starlink satellites into orbit.
How many Starlink satellites are in orbit?
So far, 7,677 Starlink satellites have been launched into space, 6,912 of which are still in orbit, with 6,874 remaining functional, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who tracks the constellation on his website.
SpaceX aims to eventually have as many as 42,000 satellites orbiting around the Earth.
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