A staircase is left partially standing in a property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Palisades and Eaton wildfires, which ignited in Los Angeles during a red flag warning on January 7, reached full containment Friday. In the wake of a record-breaking, heartbreaking fire season, Los Angeles residents are reeling from a tragedy that has changed the shape of the city forever.
In just a few short days, the fires destroyed over 16,000 structures, including homes, schools, businesses, and restaurants, and killed almost 30 people, many of whom perished trying to save their homes. An unknown number of people have been left homeless in a city already experiencing a major affordable housing crisis. Total economic losses may total anywhere from $50 billion to $150 billion, with the blazes likely to become the costliest wildfires in U.S. history.
With the EPA helming cleanup efforts and limited repopulation efforts underway, many residents have been able to return and survey the damage. Concerns about toxic pollution, looting, and potential mudslides are rife. For those who lost homes, myself included, very little can be salvaged from the ashes. My roommates visited the site of our former home in East Malibu last week and found that almost everything, from furniture to clothes to kitchen appliances, had been vaporized.
Wildfires are part of life in Southern California, with its dry climate and strong Santa Ana winds creating the potential for destructive blazes. But the Palisades and Eaton Fires were particularly catastrophic—stoked by extreme high winds, which accelerated the fires across mountainous terrain and through densely populated neighborhoods at an alarming pace while hampering containment efforts. The resulting wildfires were of truly historic proportions, and have forever altered the lives of countless Angelenos in ways yet to be fully realized.
Finding peace in God’s presence
As a fire victim myself, one of the most significant things I’ve learned is the power of walking with someone who completely understands your grief. My roommates and I endured the same tragedy, and the way we’ve leaned on each other has been a powerful reminder that Jesus is the Man of Sorrows, familiar with grief, as Isaiah 53:3 tells us. He understands our sorrows completely and is present with us in them.
God also provides for our basic needs when we can’t. It’s easy for those of us who are financially well-off to forget that we need him–that we depend on him for food, water, clothing, and shelter every bit as much as the birds do (Matthew 6:26-34). And he is faithful to provide for us, whether that’s through our ordinary work or through miraculous provision (Matthew 6:33).
And one of the ways God has provided for fire victims is through his people. Over the past month, Angelenos have seen the church come alongside us in our need and our grief. Nonprofits, local church communities, and individuals have all pitched in to fundraise, support firefighters, and distribute donations to those who need it most. Jesus called us to be his hands and feet to a hurting world, and watching the church answer that call inspires hope in the midst of heartbreak.
Words fall short of adequately describing tragedies like this one. But when they do, true comfort comes not from having all the answers, but from the presence of the God who is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).
That truth has become a source of comfort and strength in my life over recent weeks. Where do you need God’s presence today?
Search
