Today, January 7, 2026, marks the first official Fire Remembrance Day in California, established to honor the victims of the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation yesterday ordering flags to fly at half-staff across the state to commemorate the 31 lives lost and the resilience shown during the catastrophic firestorms that reshaped our region one year ago.
While the Sunset Fire in Runyon Canyon provided a terrifying close call for West Hollywood, it was only one piece of a regional catastrophe—the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires—which remains the costliest disaster in California history.
The Eaton Fire: Altadena’s Heartbreak and Legal Battles
The Eaton Fire was the season’s deadliest, claiming 19 lives. It started on the evening of January 7th and was driven by 100 mph gusts into the communities of Altadena and Pasadena.
A year later, a lot of questions still remain over the fire’s origin. The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Southern California Edison, alleging the utility’s equipment sparked the fire. Lawsuits claim video evidence shows sparks from a transmission tower igniting the brush, and critics point to a report suggesting a power shutdown may have overwhelmed other lines, leading to the sparks that started the fire.
9,418 structures were destroyed, erasing enormous amounts of generational wealth in neighborhoods where nearly half of the households were Black.
Famous residents were not spared: Mandy Moore lost her Altadena home to the flames, joining thousands of her neighbors in the long rebuilding process.
Outgoing West Hollywood City Manager David Wilson was among those who lost their homes to the Eaton Fire. Despite this, he served on the independent Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire Safe Recovery. Considering the obvious personal toll this tragedy and trauma must have had on him, we can’t thank him enough for continuing to show up for the City of West Hollywood over this past, difficult year… Thank you, David.
The Palisades Fire and the Chief Crowley Controversy
Igniting the morning of January 7, the Palisades Fire became a 23,448-acre conflagration that killed 12 people and destroyed 6,837 structures. The disaster led to a massive political fallout, resulting in the firing of Kristin Crowley, LA’s first female and openly lesbian fire chief.
Mayor Karen Bass removed Crowley in February 2025, citing a lack of preparation and a failure to warn her of the impending windstorm while the Mayor was on a trip to Ghana. However, the dismissal was met with controversy. Crowley and her supporters, including former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso, argued she was a scapegoat for budget cuts that left the department under-resourced.
Amidst the darkness, the viral story of Casey Colvin offered a rare moment of hope and light. Colvin searched the ruins of his home for five days before being reunited with his two dogs, Oreo and Tika Tika Tika, who had survived the inferno against all odds.
The Sunset Fire: Runyon Canyon
While smaller in scale, the Sunset Fire brought the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires to West Hollywood’s doorstep on January 8. Flames climbed the West Ridge of Runyon Canyon, visible from Sunset Boulevard. Though 43 acres were scorched and trails were left “crispy,” the heroics of the LAFD saved the surrounding homes. Today, volunteer recovery efforts continue to focus on restoring the canyon’s ecosystem.
