With more than 104 million acres of dry land and over 38 million people living in the state of California, the state is prone to wildfire. Due to their intense winds, fires are able to spark often. Since the 2000s, roughly 90,000 acres of land have been burned in wildfires, and a buildup of wood fuel, population growth, and poorly maintained electricity transmissions are causing the rate of wildfires to spike.

 Before the current wildfires, there was the Park Fire in Butte Tehama California. The fire started on July 24 and was allegedly caused by arson. Despite the efforts of many, the fire continued to burn into Lassen National Park. Thousands had to evacuate the area around until the fire was finally completely contained on Sept. 26. The fire burnt 429,603 acres of land which earned it the title of the 4th largest fire in California history and $351 million were spent in reparations for the fire.

Many major fires have sparked the Palisades Fire, which is west of Los Angeles; the Eaton Fire, which is north of Pasadena; and the Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills. As of Jan. 23, these fires have killed at least 28 individuals and displaced over 100,000. They have charred more than 60 square miles and destroyed more than 15,000 structures. In an attempt to solve the issue, firefighters have been building wide trenches around the area and removing all possible flammables. Firefighters have begun to face critical resource shortages, but as of Jan. 16 winds have died down, giving the firefighters a much needed break. Winds are expected to pick back up by Jan. 23, which will cause the fires to spread farther and quicker. Many celebrities have lost their homes due to the fires including Mandy Moore, Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, Mark Hamill, and James Woods. About 130,000 people have been put under evacuation orders and over 450,000 people were without power on Jan. 15.