HANDOUT - Los Angeles County is grappling with multiple devastating wildfires that erupted in early January 2025, fuelled by parched conditions and fierce Santa Ana winds reaching speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. Thousands of structures have been destroyed, and evacuation orders remain in effect across several areas. One of the largest blazes, the Palisades Fire, broke out on the morning of 7 January near the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood. Satellite imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 shows the fire shortly after it ignited, with plumes of smoke streaming westward towards the Pacific Ocean. By the afternoon of 8 January, the fire had scorched over 11,000 acres (44 square kilometres) and advanced along the Pacific Coast Highway towards Malibu, according to Cal Fire. Farther inland, the Eaton Fire erupted in Altadena, north of downtown Los Angeles, on the evening of 7 January. Rapidly spreading, it engulfed over 10,000 acres, impacting areas of Pasadena and Altadena. Meanwhile, the Hurst Fire ignited in San Fernando later that night, adding to the region's mounting crisis. The fires have been exacerbated by the infamous Santa Ana winds, a weather phenomenon common between October and January. These winds are driven by a pressure gradient between the Great Basin to the east and the cooler Pacific Ocean to the west, sending dry, gusty air through mountain canyons towards coastal areas. Compounding the danger is an unprecedented lack of rainfall. Southern California has experienced its driest start to winter on record, with negligible rain since October. The Los Angeles International Airport, for instance, has recorded just 0.03 inches (0.08 centimetres) of rain since the start of the water year on 1 October-a stark record dating back to 1944, according to the National Weather Service. Climate scientist Daniel Swain noted that the combination of powerful winds and arid conditions has created "critical" fire weather. As firefighters battle to contain the blazes, residents in affected areas have been urged to evacuate promptly and adhere to safety guidance. The ongoing fires underscore the growing challenges posed by increasingly erratic weather patterns in Southern California, where fire seasons have become longer and more severe in recent years. Officials are continuing to monitor the fires closely, with hopes pinned on changing weather conditions to aid containment efforts. For now, Los Angeles County remains on high alert as the battle against these destructive wildfires continues. Los Angeles, California, USA on January 8, 2025. Photo by NASA Earth Observatory/ESA via ABACAPRESS.COM

08 January 2025, US, Altadena: A house near the corner of Glenrose and Loma Alta Drive bursts into flame and black, noxious smoke in the residential neighborhood of East Altadena, next to Pasadena, in Los Angeles, California. It has been totally devastated due to sparks from the Eaton Fire, named for Eaton Canyon â·" a popular Los Angeles hiking destination. The flames were fanned by the hurricane-strength Santa Ana winds. Most of the homes have been decimated and dozens are still bursting into flames and smoldering. Photo: Amy Katz/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES - JANUARY 8: A LAFD firefighter hosing a burning apartment complex from the Eaton Fire that has currently taken the lives of 5 people and burned over 2000 structures, forcing over 100,000 residents to evacuate Altadena, California, United States on January 8, 2025. Jon Putman / Anadolu/ABACAPRESS.COM

January 7, 2025, Malibu, California, U.S.A: Fire broke out on January 7, 2025 in the wealthy town of Pacific Palisades, on the edge of Malibu, due to unusually strong Santa Ana winds that exceeded 100 MPH, sending an inferno of orange and red flames to race down the mountain toward Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Los Angeles County. (Credit Image: © Amy Katz/ZUMA Press Wire)

January 7, 2025, Malibu, California, U.S.A: Fire broke out on January 7, 2025 in the wealthy town of Pacific Palisades, on the edge of Malibu, due to unusually strong Santa Ana winds that exceeded 100 MPH, sending an inferno of orange and red flames to race down the mountain toward Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Los Angeles County. A street sign reads, Rambla Pacifico. (Credit Image: © Amy Katz/ZUMA Press Wire)