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California wildfires have become particularly devastating in recent decades, but their origins vary.
Oct. 8, 2025, 7:21 p.m. ET
The Palisades fire, which killed 12 people and engulfed thousands of homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles in January, stemmed from an earlier blaze ignited by a 29-year-old who appeared to be obsessed with fire, officials said Wednesday morning.
The Palisades fire, along with the Eaton fire, began ravaging large communities in Southern California on the same night, Jan. 7, in what became known collectively as the Los Angeles wildfires.
The causes of California’s most destructive wildfires have varied, from natural events like lightning strikes to human involvement, either intentional or accidental. And in recent years, state officials have scrutinized overhead power lines and electrical equipment because of their role in some of the state’s deadliest and most destructive wildfires.
While the causes can vary, experts have warned that fire risks in the western United States have become ever more severe because of climate change, which has intensified drought conditions and wind gusts, and the expansion of urban development into wild lands.
“If there is fuel and there is ignition, you’re going to get fire,” said William Deverell, a professor at the University of Southern California who is leading a project studying the history of wildfires in the western United States. “It’s reasonable to understand that in early 21st-century California, humans create a lot of spark, whether intentionally or not.”
These are the causes of the seven most destructive fires in California history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
