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LA fires: Why fast-moving wildfires and those started by human activities are more destructive and harder to contain
Virginia Iglesias, University of Colorado Boulder
Investigators are trying to determine what caused several wind-driven wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes across the Los Angeles area in January 2025. Given the fires’ locations, and lack of lightning at the time, it’s likely that utility infrastructure, other equipment or human activities were involved.
California’s wildfires have become increasingly destructive in recent years. Research my colleagues and I have conducted shows U.S. wildfires are up to four times larger and three times more frequent than they were in the 1980s and ’90s. Fast-moving fires have been particularly destructive, accounting for 78% of structures destroyed and 61% of suppression costs between 2001 and 2020.
Lightning strikes are a common cause of U.S. wildfires, but the majority of wildfires that threaten communities are started by human activities.
A broken power line started the deadly 2023 Maui fire that destroyed the town of Lahaina, Hawaii. Metal from cars or mowers dragging on the ground can spark fires. California’s largest fire in 2024 started when a man pushed a burning car into a ravine near Chico. The fire destroyed more than 700 homes and buildings.
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What makes these wildfires so destructive and difficult to contain?
The answer lies in a mix of wind speed, changing climate, the legacy of past land-management practices, and current human activities that are reshaping fire behavior and increasing the risk they pose.
Fire’s perfect storm
Wildfires rely on three key elements to spread: conducive weather, dry fuel and an ignition source. Each of these factors has undergone pronounced changes in recent decades. While climate change sets the stage for larger and more intense fires, humans are actively fanning the flames.
Climate and weather
Extreme temperatures play a dangerous role in wildfires. Heat dries out vegetation, making it more flammable. Under these conditions, wildfires ignite more easily, spread faster and burn with greater intensity. In the western U.S., aridity attributed to climate change has doubled the amount of forestland that has burned since 1984.
Compounding the problem is the rapid rise in nighttime temperatures, now increasing faster than daytime temperatures. Nights, which used to offer a reprieve with cooler conditions and higher humidity, do so less often, allowing fires to continue raging without pause.
Finally, winds contribute to the rapid expansion, increased intensity and erratic behavior of wildfires. Wind gusts push heat and embers ahead of the fire front and can cause it to rapidly expand. They can also create spot fires in new locations. Additionally, winds enhance combustion by supplying more oxygen, which can make the fire more unpredictable and challenging to control. Usually driven by high winds, fast-moving fires have become more frequent in recent decades.
Fuel
Fire is a natural process that has shaped ecosystems for over 420 million years. Indigenous people historically used controlled burns to manage landscapes and reduce fuel buildup. However, a century of fire suppression has allowed vast areas to accumulate dense fuels, priming them for larger and more intense wildfires.
Invasive species, such as certain grasses, have exacerbated the issue by creating continuous fuel beds that accelerate fire spread, often doubling or tripling fire activity.
Additionally, human development in fire-prone regions, especially in the wildland-urban interface, where neighborhoods intermingle with forest and grassland vegetation, has introduced new, highly flammable fuels. Buildings, vehicles and infrastructure often ignite easily and burn hotter and faster than natural vegetation. These changes have significantly altered fuel patterns, creating conditions conducive to more severe and harder-to-control wildfires.
Ignition
Lightning can ignite wildfires, but humans are responsible for an increasing share. From unattended campfires to arson or sparks from power lines, over 84% of the wildfires affecting communities are human-ignited.
Human activities have not only tripled the length of the fire season, but they also have resulted in fires that pose a higher risk to people.
Lightning-started fires often coincide with storms that carry rain or higher humidity, which slows fires’ spread. Human-started fires, however, typically ignite under more extreme conditions – hotter temperatures, lower humidity and stronger winds. This leads to greater flame heights, faster spread in the critical early days before crews can respond, and more severe ecosystem effects, such as killing more trees and degrading the soil.
Human-ignited fires often occur in or near populated areas, where flammable structures and vegetation create even more hazardous conditions. Homes and the materials around them, such as wooden fences and porches, can burn quickly and send burning embers airborne, further spreading the flames.
As urban development expands into wildlands, the probability of human-started fires and the property potentially exposed to fire increase, creating a feedback loop of escalating wildfire risk.
Whiplash weather
A phenomenon known as whiplash weather, marked by unusually wet winters and springs followed by extreme summer heat, was especially pronounced in Southern California in recent years.
A wet spring in 2024 fostered vegetation growth, which then dried out under scorching summer temperatures, turning into highly combustible fuel. This cycle fueled some of the biggest fires of the 2024 season, several of which were started by humans.
That dryness continued in Southern California through the fall and into early winter, with very little rainfall. Soil moisture in the Los Angeles region was about 2% of historical levels for that time of year when the fires began on Jan. 7, 2025.
As the factors that can drive wildfires converge, the potential for increasingly severe wildfires looms ever larger. Severe fires also release large amounts of carbon from trees, vegetation and soils into the atmosphere, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbating climate change, contributing to more extreme fire seasons.
This is an update to an article originally published Oct. 8, 2024.
Virginia Iglesias, Interim Earth Lab Director, University of Colorado Boulder
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The Knowledge
Metrolink Offers Fare-Free Rides for Earth Day 2026 Across Southern California
Metrolink offers fare-free rides for Earth Day 2026 across Southern California, encouraging sustainable travel and reduced emissions.
Last Updated on April 21, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Metrolink Offers Fare-Free Rides for Earth Day 2026
LOS ANGELES — April 22, 2026 — In a continued push toward sustainable transportation, Metrolink will once again offer systemwide free rides on Earth Day, inviting commuters and travelers to leave their cars behind and explore a cleaner way to move across the region.
A One-Day Opportunity to Ride Free
On Wednesday, April 22, passengers can board any Metrolink train — including the Arrow service — without purchasing a ticket. The initiative is part of the broader celebration of Earth Day, encouraging environmentally conscious travel choices.
The fare-free program is designed to appeal to both regular riders and first-time users, particularly those navigating Southern California’s persistent traffic congestion and rising fuel costs.
Encouraging Sustainable Travel Habits
“Earth Day is a reminder that small changes, like choosing public transit over driving one day a week, can have a meaningful impact on our environment,” said Doug Chaffee, chair of the Metrolink Board.
With gas prices continuing to strain household budgets, the agency hopes the initiative will inspire more residents to consider rail as part of their regular commute.
Regional Connections Expand Access
Metrolink’s Earth Day promotion aligns with similar efforts by other Southern California transit providers. Riders can seamlessly connect to services operated by: LA Metro and the Orange County Transportation Authority, Riverside County Transportation Commission, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority and Ventura County Transportation Commission.
These partnerships extend the reach of fare-free travel across a six-county region, making it easier for riders to explore destinations without relying on personal vehicles.
Service Adjustments and Rider Tips
Passengers should note that trains will operate on a reduced weekday schedule, implemented earlier this spring. Despite the adjustment, all Metrolink lines and station cities remain in service.
For those planning a trip:
- No ticket is required — simply board the train
- Bikes are welcome, with capacity ranging from three bikes per standard car to nine in designated bike cars
- A curated destination guide highlights attractions within walking or biking distance of stations
Environmental and Economic Impact
Metrolink is also promoting its Personal Impact Calculator, a digital tool that allows riders to estimate how switching from driving to rail can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower fuel expenses.
A Broader Trend in Public Transit
Fare-free transit days have gained traction nationwide as agencies look to boost ridership and promote sustainability. Southern California’s expansive commuter rail network makes it particularly well-suited for such initiatives, offering a viable alternative to one of the country’s most car-dependent regions.
Bottom Line
Metrolink’s Earth Day promotion is more than a one-day free ride — it’s a strategic effort to shift commuter behavior, reduce environmental impact, and showcase the convenience of regional rail. For Southern Californians, April 22 presents a low-risk opportunity to rethink how they travel.
Source: Metrolink
https://metrolinktrains.com/news/metrolink-goes-fare-free-for-earth-day-on-april-22
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News
Money Management: The Importance of Financial Literacy
You may have mastered the core subjects like math and grammar in school, but financial literacy – or understanding the basics of money management in order to help you make better financial decisions – often goes overlooked before adulthood. It’s not so much a course of study as it is a plan of action. When you understand how to earn, save, spend and invest wisely, you aren’t just building a stable future for yourself, but your family and community as well.
(Feature Impact) You may have mastered the core subjects like math and grammar in school, but financial literacy – or understanding the basics of money management in order to help you make better financial decisions – often goes overlooked before adulthood. It’s not so much a course of study as it is a plan of action.
Financial literacy in the United States has remained stagnant at generally low levels for several years, according to research from TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center, with even lower levels among Gen Z. Yet greater financial literacy – including key aspects such as goal-setting, budgeting, saving, credit management and investing – is strongly linked to better financial outcomes, including lower rates of debt constraint and financial fragility.
While emboldening yourself to understand financial terms can be a little overwhelming at first, once you have a grasp of basic concepts you can begin to get a handle on your money and make better financial decisions. Simply put: When you understand how to earn, save, spend and invest wisely, you aren’t just building a stable future for yourself, but your family and community as well.
From nonprofit partnerships to volunteer-led programs and fee online resources, Schwab and its employees help millions of people every year build the knowledge and confidence to take charge of their financial futures by serving as board members, mentors, role models and educators.
Because financial health is a lifelong journey, the earlier people learn vital money skills, the better. That’s why the financial advisory services provider develops education programs geared toward kids that continue into adulthood, helping people no matter where they are on their journeys.
Talk Money
It’s never too early to start a conversation about financial literacy. Having teens identify goals that are important to them – such as concert tickets or a first car – can kickstart coversations about money. Working with your child (and a financial advisor, if necessary) on a plan for saving to realize those goals can serve as a jumping off point. After achieving some success, their enthusiasm may grow, which is a powerful motivator to keep saving.
Support School Initiatives and Programs
Outreach programs that empower young people to make smart financial decisions is key to a bright future. Programs like Money Matters – Schwab’s flagship financial education program utilized by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America – gives young people hands-on experience with all aspects of money and investing.
This example, and others, don’t just include program funding – they build partnerships that create impact and opportunity with national collaborations that reach more than 17 million youth annually, empowering young people with the tools and confidence to make smart financial decisions for life.
Spread the Financial Love
Championing financial literacy empowers everyone – individuals, families and communities. By serving as a board member, mentor, role model or educator to help bring financial literacy to others in your community, you can supply the tools and knowledge to lead programs that focus on giving back, empowering future generations in countless ways.
To learn more about financial literacy and find resources to empower your local community, visit SchwabMoneywise.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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SUVs and EVs Take Center Stage at the 2026 New York International Auto Show
(Feature Impact) The 2026 New York International Auto Show is shining a spotlight on the latest in automotive innovation, from advanced technology to the growing shift toward electric vehicles. One automaker, Kia, is using the show to highlight two versatile SUVs designed to offer more space, capability and flexibility for modern drivers.
Watch this video to learn more
The all-new 2027 Kia Seltos has grown in size, offering a roomier interior with additional legroom, headroom and cargo space. It also adds a hybrid powertrain, making it the only vehicle in its class with three powertrain options. The SUV comes packed with advanced safety features, a more capable all-wheel-drive system and premium interior touches, including dual 12.3-inch display screens and an available panoramic sunroof.
The automaker is also showcasing the all-electric EV3, a compact SUV designed to make electric vehicle ownership more practical. With an estimated range of up to 320 miles, fast-charging capability and optional all-wheel drive, it balances performance, technology and everyday usability. Its intuitive features and flexible design make transitioning to electric simpler for a wider range of drivers.
Both models represent Kia’s commitment to providing options that blend capability, innovation and style. To learn more, visit Kia.com.
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