Los Angeles fires ‘strikingly similar’ to 2017 Knysna blaze – Working on Fire
Twenty-four people have so far lost their lives in the devastating fires in California.
A fast-moving wildfire in a Los Angeles suburb burned buildings and sparked panic, with thousands ordered to evacuate 7 January 2025 as 'life threatening' winds whipped the region. Picture: AFP
Lester Kiewit speaks with Trevor Abrahams, MD of Working on Fire.
Listen below.
Parts of California have been engulfed in flames eerily similar to the Knysna fire of 2017.
Twenty-four lives have been lost and nearly 200,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes.
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These fires, and those in Knysna in 2017, both happened out of fire season and were exacerbated by excessively warm winds coming from inland.
The two areas also have similar vegetation.
In both cases, the winds were so strong that aerial resources could not be deployed.
“The parallels are very striking.”
- Trevor Abrahams, MD - Working on Fire
Abraham says climate change and the winds going with it have made fighting these fires extremely challenging.
“Wildfires are taking on a new character. It is ungovernable because of the strength of these winds.”
- Trevor Abrahams, MD - Working on Fire
Abrahams says Working on Fire has not been asked to assist as firefighters in the US have ample resources and support from neighbouring countries.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.