What the LA fires tell us about climate change
What the LA fires tell us about climate change
Author: Delilah Harvey and Team Grove
Our hearts and thoughts go out to Los Angeles and everyone impacted by these devastating fires. We hope that all find safety and community during this difficult time. If you or someone you know was impacted by the fires and needs essentials, DM us on Instagram.
On January 7, 2025, a brush fire broke out in the idyllic Palisades neighborhood in Southern California, and quickly became what is regarded as the most destructive fire event in the region’s history.¹ Countless people across Southern California lost everything they owned, beautiful green spaces burned to ash, and nearby residents faced impacted air and water quality.
Echoing those directly impacted by the fires, many people watching them unfold through their phone screens were left questioning: How did this even happen?
Amidst the flurry of political finger-pointing addressing blame for the fires, scientific experts have underscored a key message: climate change did play a role. In this article, we break down some of the key connections between the fires and climate change, as well as the broader climate-realities we face.
“The perfect storm”
A combination of circumstances contributed to the ferocity of the LA fires: unusually strong winds, decades-long decisions about land management and urban planning, hotter and drier conditions, and increasing ‘weather whiplash,’ all made the local vegetation much more flammable.² While the factors that lead to disasters such as the LA fires are complex and interlinked, experts have made it clear that climate change is creating and exacerbating the conditions that can trigger and worsen these unprecedented catastrophes.
The role of climate change
Hotter and drier conditions
Unlike forest fires in other parts of California, blazes in the southern part of the state burn in grass and brush.² More winter rain in these parts contributes to significant growth of grass and brush in the springtime. Once the summer dry season begins, all that growth dries up — and as global temperatures rise due to climate change, the atmosphere becomes ‘thirstier,’ sucking up even more moisture from the ground and vegetation through evaporation. And the drier the ‘fuel,’ the more available and fiercely it will burn when any spark arises. Climate scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles, found the vegetation in the area where Palisades and Eaton ignited was 25 percent drier because of climate change.³
Weather “whiplash”
Some climate scientists are referring to quick sways between very wet and very dry conditions as having a “whiplash” effect, something that’s been noteworthy in Southern California in recent years.² The winters of 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 were unusually damp, causing more vegetation to spring up — subsequently, the summer and autumn of 2024 were extremely hot and dry. This past winter was the driest start to a winter in the region on record. Some climate scientists have expressed that the worst climate for wildfires may be one that increasingly moves back and forth between extreme episodes of wet and dry conditions, yielding larger swings between rapid fuel accumulation and subsequent drying.²
The aftermath
Extreme climate events impact on drinking water
Large fires can cause heavy damage to infrastructure, including damage to surrounding water systems.⁴ When homes and buildings burn, ash, smoke, soot, debris, toxic chemicals and gases enter water piping networks, posing serious health risks ranging from temporary nausea to cancer. Experts say consumption of the chemical toxins can be harmful even at low concentrations.
Affordable housing to become a challenge for displaced residents
Disasters like the LA fires can send thousands of displaced residents looking for new places to live in an already difficult and expensive housing market with a “massive homelessness crisis.”⁵ And according to real estate agents and economists, the short supply and surge in demand is likely to send house and rental units surging in price for months and years to come.⁶ Some have made it clear to point out that climate-change intensified disasters, be it hurricanes like Helene in the southeast or fires on the Pacific Coast, are exacerbating the rise in homelessness, which saw an 18% increase in 2024.⁷ As put by Journalist Nicholas Slayton for The New Republic, “climate change is a housing issue. Housing is a climate issue.”
The unseen toll of disaster on community
Extreme weather events like the LA fires don’t only wreak havoc on people’s physical homes and belongings, but can also lead to an extreme emotional toll for years to come. Many of those impacted by the fires have cited the loss of community as one of the most difficult and painful aspects in the aftermath of the tragedy.⁸ As humans continue to burn fossil fuels and the climate continues to become warmer, more and more communities in high-disaster risk areas will have to contend with difficult decisions about where to live. For those whose families have lived in beloved communities their whole lives, such as the Palisades and Altadena, their lives are deeply intersected with their communities. Deciding to leave and stay away, or to return to a riskier and very different place than before, will be very heavy, difficult decisions to make.
What Grove is doing
We at Grove believe that businesses have a responsibility to address major societal issues like climate change through action. We exist to transform consumer products into a force for environmental and human good, working across the industry to make a positive impact on our planet, our families, and our health. When disaster strikes, we take action where we can to support our team members, partners, customers, and broader community. And while our heart is with Los Angeles, we aim to have our actions speak louder, including:
Delivering essential products to our partners at The A List, who are running an ongoing relief drive for those impacted by the fires
Donating funds to World Central Kitchen to support their efforts on the ground feeding first responders, front line workers, and the broader community
Engaging directly with customers via our Instagram page to provide credits to Grove or sending needed everyday essentials
While the constant stream of headlines and videos about increasing climate disasters can be overwhelming and feel as though all hope is lost, there are many reasons to be hopeful for the future. Understanding the connections and realities between climate change and extreme weather events can make us more aware, equipped, and act as fuel for our climate activism.
It's clear that our planet — our shared home — needs us now more than ever. Let’s take inspiration from our collective efforts and strive to be more mindful consumers. Together, we can reduce our impact and create a healthier, more sustainable world.
Sources:
1 NBCUniversal News Group. (2025, January 20). California wildfires: What we know about l.a.-area fires, what caused them, who is affected and more. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-wildfires-what-we-know-palisades-eaton-los-angeles-rcna188239
2 Thompson, A. (2025, January 17). Here’s how climate change fueled the Los Angeles wildfires. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/los-angeles-fires-indisputably-fueled-by-climate-change/
3 Madakumbura, G., Thackeray, C., Hall, A., Williams, P., Norris, J., & Sukhdeo, R. (2025, January 13). Climate Change A Factor In Unprecedented LA Fires. UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge. https://sustainablela.ucla.edu/2025lawildfires
4 Peterson, B. (2025, January 14). Contaminated drinking water is a growing concern for cities facing wildfires. ABC7 Los Angeles. https://abc7.com/post/southern-california-wildfires-contaminated-drinking-water-is-growing-concern-cities-facing-fires/15798972/
5 Slayton, N. (2025, January 9). Los Angeles Has a Housing Crisis. These Fires Will Make It Worse. The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/190011/los-angeles-fires-houses-homelessness
6 Isodore, C. (2025, January 14). La wildfires displaced tens of thousands. with some rents up as much as 20%, finding affordable housing is the next challenge | CNN business. CNN Business. https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/14/business/southern-california-real-estate-market-wildfires/index.html
7 Mello, C. (2023, April 24). How Climate Change Impacts Homelessness. National Alliance to End Homelessness. https://endhomelessness.org/blog/how-climate-change-impacts-homelessness/
8 Sommer, L. (2025, January 23). This scientist studies climate change. Then the Los Angeles fire destroyed his home. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/23/nx-s1-5265998/los-angeles-fire-eaton-scientist-climate-change#:~:text=A%20hotter%20atmosphere%20saps%20moisture,California%20from%202001%20to%202020.
