A city of Hollywood fame and fortune, dreams coming true, brings an unexpected twist of wildfire blazing through streets and buildings.
Wildfires have been going on for thousands of years, affecting the world and destroying nature’s beauty as well as the lives of human beings.
Numerous factors caused the fires including global warming, drought, high winds and sparking power lines.
The first area affected by the fires was at the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles California which took place on January 7, 2025.
The cause of these fires is climate change; however, many people believe that individuals set the houses on fire just for “enjoyment”.
Paris Hilton, an American socialite and singer who lost her home due to the fires, said, “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London.”
Firefighters have worked very hard to set off the fires and evacuate everyone from their homes.
Due to the Santa Ana winds, the fires have widely spread, taking over 23,000 acres and killing 27 individuals.
Actor Joshua Jackson said, “Sadly, my beautiful home did not survive the fires. But today, I feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by the people I love.”
Many people gathered together to help with the fires including firefighters from Canada, Mexico, Ukraine, and Iran.
Mexico sent search-and-rescue teams who found four bodies in homes that were burned and destroyed.
Various organizations are reaching out to the people affected by the fires such as Midwest Food Bank, Fuerza Fund, and American Red Cross.
Three days after the fires a fundraising organization, FireAid, decided to organize a concert where many famous artists such as Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Pink, and more performed at the Inuit Dome in Inglewood California on January 30, 2025.
Los Angeles has had problems with water shortages and waterway issues recently, the cause of this may be its dry climate, dependence on imported water, and growing population.
On January 24th, 2025, rain began to fall in Los Angeles after the fires which provided ease to the fire-affected regions but concerns about possible mudslides and waste flows in areas where vegetation had burned away increased.
Poem Perspective
In Loretto Academy the AP Spanish Culture and Literature students were to relate Heredia, the poet, who lived through a hurricane, to the Los Angeles fires through a “silva” poem.
Four students, Ana Sofia Grimaldo, Valeria Vazquez, Briana Sevillano, and Victoria Chavez wrote a heartfelt poem where they expressed their profound feelings towards the fires in Los Angeles, leaving Mrs. Urias, their teacher, proud of them for spreading awareness and writing about this modern day issue.
The girls believe that working together, the Los Angeles community can overcome the damages the fires have caused.
Senior Ana Sofia Grimaldo said, “I hope this poem inspires sympathy as well as a sense of justice and to speak your mind and to care for others especially those who are struggling and those who are affected by the fires.”
Senior Victoria Chavez and Sophomore Briana Sevillano said, “Aid from other states can also be beneficial since the house insurances started cancelling policies regarding natural disasters and people lost coverage and people lost everything.”
Valeria Vasquez said,“We were inspired by the fires in LA and the poet who was the anchor for the specific branch of poetry called silva.”
Students like these inspire people to take action and demonstrate to the world that working together, climate change can be stopped and fires can be avoided.
As unanticipated fires continue to rise, Los Angeles and other cities remain prepared for whatever may come.
