New Dashboard: Understanding the Impact of the January 2025 Wildfires
In January 2025, Los Angeles County experienced one of the most destructive wildfire events in its recent history. Extreme winds and dry conditions caused several fires to spread rapidly across the region, damaging homes and disrupting community infrastructure.
The two most destructive fires were the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades. Together, they burned 37,469 acres, destroyed approximately 16,255 structures, and forced 205,000 people to leave their homes at the height of the emergency.
Beyond the physical damage, the fires disrupted daily life across many communities. Schools, parks, local businesses, and community organizations were damaged or temporarily closed. Smoke and ash also affected air quality, which is known to worsen respiratory conditions, especially among children, older adults, and people with asthma.
Response Efforts
In the months that followed, the County and its partners launched several programs to support residents, workers, and businesses, including
- Opening local recovery centers where residents can access disaster assistance, housing support, and legal guidance
- Creating an online relief portal to connect people with grants, services, and volunteer support
- Investing $4.25 million to repair parks, trails, and open spaces
- Establishing a $1 million relief fund for small businesses and displaced workers
- Accelerating debris removal and cleanup to help homeowners rebuild more quickly
These efforts provided critical short-term support while longer-term rebuilding continues.
Wildfire and Windstorm Impact Dashboard
Early in the response and recovery phase, it became clear that the impacts of the fires were not the same across communities. Factors such as income, homeownership, access to savings or insurance, and local job opportunities influence how communities experience and respond to disruption.
To support transparency, accountability, and informed decision-making, the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office (CEO) Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative developed the January 2025 Wildfire and Windstorm Impact Dashboard.
This online dashboard brings together key data in one place, providing users with a tool to explore where impacts occurred, who was affected, and the scale and characteristics of those impacts across communities.
Users can view impacts across all fires or zoom in to explore specific communities and neighborhoods.
The dashboard shows how the fires affected:
- Communities and neighborhoods
- Housing and displacement
- Workers and local businesses
- Environmental conditions
One of the most useful features of the dashboard is the ability to view multiple layers of information at the same time, helping users understand how housing, income, employment, and access to assistance are interconnected.
The dashboard provides a publicly available tool for users to visualize how the fires affected people and places across Los Angeles County. By making these impacts visible and accessible, it helps the County, funders, service providers, and community partners better understand where impacts were greatest and where additional support is needed.