The Brief

The fires sweeping across Los Angeles County for the past week have burned more than 40,000 acres, an area roughly equivalent to 1,800 Alcatraz Islands or 400 Disneylands, or slightly larger than Washington, D.C.

An arid fall and winter have dried out vegetation after two wetter-than-average years, providing fuel as a windstorm, with hurricane-force gusts topping 100 mph, swept across the region. Wind-whipped flames spread rapidly throughout much of the county.

The Palisades Fire, which burned through Pacific Palisades and parts of Malibu, and the Eaton Fire, which burned Altadena and other foothill communities, have damaged or destroyed an estimated 12,000 houses and other structures. At least 24 people have died, making 2025 one of the deadliest and most destructive years on record less than two weeks after the year started.

Two other fires in the area — the Kenneth Fire near Hidden Hills and the Hurst Fire in the San Fernando Valley — have largely been contained, according to CalFire.

It’s difficult to visualize how dramatically Los Angeles — California’s largest city in both physical size and population — has been affected. But to get a sense of the scope, you can enter a California address into the tool below to compare the fire perimeters to any area statewide.

For Apple News readers, you can explore the tool here.

Check out the map