On January 7, 2025, the Palisades Fires erupted in Pacific Palisades, east of Malibu, becoming one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history. Fueled by unrelenting Santa Ana winds, the fire tore through nearly 24,000 acres leaving over 6,000 destroyed structures and ten fatalities.
The devastation didn’t stop there. The Eaton fire in Altadena and Pasadena and the Hurst Fire in Sylmar compounded the chaos. The Eaton fire alone, stretched over 14,000 acres, decimating neighborhoods and taking seventeen lives. Then on Wed, Jan. 21st, the Hughes fire broke out in the Castaic area in the northern region of Los Angeles County. Rapidly spreading to over 9,000 acres, the fire further strained the Los Angeles community.
For alumni and faculty with ties to Los Angeles, the fires were not just statistics, but deeply personal events.
For Nadia Poncy, a member of the Class of 2021 and a current senior at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), the fires were unlike anything she had ever experienced. “The fires happened out of nowhere on the first Tuesday of the start of our Winter Quarter. By that night, there was already smoke blowing over campus and you couldn’t go outside without your eyes hurting. By Wednesday, the smoke blowing over campus was so bad that my roommates and our phones were telling us to stay inside if possible because of the poor air quality,” Poncy said.
As conditions worsened, anxiety spread across the campus. “When more fires popped up in the area, my roommates and I left and had to stay at a hotel south of LA just to avoid the anxiety of not knowing whether the fire would come to UCLA. My roommates and I downloaded the app “Watch Duty,” which has been super helpful in keeping track of the ongoing fires. We were also constantly watching the news and listening to the press conference to see if we were going to be affected and whether we needed to evacuate,” she added.
Eventually, Poncy decided to fly to Dallas to stay with her siblings. “As someone who is from out of state, I didn’t have the ability to drive to my house nearby and leave. Because I was unsure if classes were canceled, I stayed nearby to make sure I would be able to make it in case classes resumed. By the time classes were moved online, I had already booked a flight to Dallas because of how bad the smoke was in the area,” Poncy shared.
UCLA moved in-person classes online for two weeks. While Poncy has appreciated the current communication, she felt that the initial response was lacking. “I wish UCLA had been more clear initially, but since then, the school has been much more vigilant and has been sending emails out daily to keep us informed,” Poncy expressed.
Across town, University of Southern California (USC) was spared the fires’ direct impact, but felt the ripple effects. “The wind brought horrible air quality to campus, forcing everyone to stay indoors for days,” said Sophia Liporace, a member of the class of 2021 and a senior at USC.
While Liporace’s campus was relatively safe, the fire disrupted the lives of many of her peers. “I had a few friends who had to evacuate and even lost their homes or their former schools. It was heartbreaking to see them go through that and have to choose which belongings would go with them,” Liporace said.
The timing of the fires also created additional challenges for students. “Luckily the fires started before we began classes at USC, but the majority of it happened during our sorority recruitment process. This caused us to transition to Zoom rush,” Liporace explained.
For Mr. Jason Peck, Director of Theater at the Upper School, the fires hit especially hard. “I grew up in LA. It’s home. With the exception of myself, my entire family is in Southern California, with the bulk of them in the areas that were under red alert and who were affected by the fires. My stepmother who lives in Calabasas was on evacuation standby and my best friend since 2nd Grade who lives in Pacific Palisades had their entire home destroyed. It is absolutely terrible what has happened and it really showed me that the safety of the people involved is paramount,” Peck said.
In the aftermath of the fires, the Los Angeles community has rallied together. Local businesses have provided free meals to those evacuating or first responders, while larger companies like Uber have offered free rides to those escaping the fires. Donation drop-off sites have sprung up across the city with individuals contributing clothing, supplies, or funds to help those who lost everything.
“It was really scary to see this happen to the place I call home for the majority of the year. These fires were so devastating and truly affected such a large part of LA. But. It’s been amazing to see the LA community as a whole come together and start to rebuild,” Liporace said.
As the effects of climate change continue to alter once predictable weather patterns, one hopes that California’s fire season quickly comes to an end.
