Newsom orders flags at half-staff for day of remembrance for LA fires
Flags at all California state buildings will be half-staff on Wednesday, after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared Wednesday a day of remembrance for the Los Angeles fires.
On Jan. 7, 2025, the Eaton and Palisades fires forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in communities such as Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena. At the peak of the disasters, more than 330,000 people, an amount that could fill SoFi Stadium three times over, were under an evacuation advisory.
"One year ago, fire tore through Los Angeles, shattering ordinary days and forever changing the lives of tens of thousands of people in Malibu, Altadena, Pasadena, and the Pacific Palisades," Newsom wrote in his proclamation. "The loss from those fires leaves wounds that time cannot heal."
The two wildfires burned a combined 37,908 acres, leveled entire neighborhoods and killed a total of 31 people — 19 in the Eaton Fire and 12 in the Palisades Fire.
The Eaton Fire, the state's second-most destructive fire in history, burned 9,413 buildings. The Palisades Fire is California's third-most destructive wildfire in history, having destroyed 6,833 structures.
"Today, California remembers and honors those 31 people, grieving with their families and friends," Newsom wrote. "We carry their memory forward, alongside the memory of all Californians lost to wildfires over the years, including those who perished in the Tubbs, Camp, and the North Complex fires. Their memory continues to shape our collective resolve today."
The blazes, along with several smaller wildfires, overwhelmed local fire departments. States such as Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington, and countries including Canada and Mexico, sent crews to help quell the flames.
After-action reports on the disasters highlighted shortcomings in the Los Angeles Fire Department, the LA County Fire Department, and the region's emergency alert system.
In the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, LAFD said it made more than a dozen protocol changes, including an overhaul of its command staff, with 19 leadership changes since January 2025. Most notably, this includes the demotion of former LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, who filed a legal claim against the city.
During a fire commissioner meeting on Tuesday, Jaime Moore, LAFD's new chief, added that the department has implemented 74% of the recommendations in the Palisades Fire's after-action report, including the use of drones equipped with thermal-imaging technology and revisions to its decision-making guidelines for high-fire-risk weather events.
"We cannot continue to rely on a system that is stretched thin on its best day and overwhelmed on its worst," Moore said. "I can assure you that nothing of this sort will ever again happen while I am fire chief."
In the year since the devastating wildfires, communities have slowly recovered, with officials issuing 2,631 construction permits throughout LA County. The homeowners whose houses survived the disaster continue to cope with the strange feeling of being the only residents remaining in their neighborhoods.
"I've walked these hills since I was a boy," Altadena resident Mark Franco said. "I was walking in an area I've walked a thousand times, and I got lost because I didn't have the houses to reference what street I was on. I literally had no idea where I was."
Newsom has signed 27 executive orders to expedite rebuilding and support displaced residents and affected businesses. He promised to continue supporting the communities until recovery efforts are entirely finished.
"We recognize the resilience of survivors who continue to rebuild, often carrying grief alongside hope. And we reaffirm a solemn commitment: California will not turn away," Newsom wrote. "We will stand with these communities until recovery is complete, homes are rebuilt, and lives are restored as fully as possible."
