California wildfires leave an impact on Lehigh students

The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County, California, which started on Jan. 7, has left many without homes and devastated the region. The fire has burned more than 23,448 acres of land since it began. 

According to the most recent damage assessment included in the fire summary from the California Department of Forestry and Fire, which was updated yesterday, the fire has resulted in 12 fatalities and four injuries. A total of 6,837 structures have been destroyed, and an additional 1,017 structures have been damaged with 98% of the fire being contained as of yesterday.   

A number of Lehigh students from the Los Angeles area are among the thousands who have been impacted by the fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. However, Benjamin Felzer, a Lehigh professor of earth and environmental studies, said a combination of factors, including climate change, created the conditions that have worsened wildfires in California. 

Felzer said warming temperatures have led to drier conditions, and extreme precipitation events, such as the atmospheric rivers in 2022 and 2023, have aided vegetation growth, providing more fuel for fires. 

This, combined with dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds, contributes to the intensity of the fires, he said.

“To get fire, you need the fuel wood, and you need dry fuel wood,” Felzer said. “So, one of the things that’s happening with warming is you’re basically drying out the wood, and you’re drying out the ground, and you’re putting that vapor into the atmosphere.”

Benny Lande, ‘27, is from Cheviot Hills, California. While he personally didn’t have to evacuate and his house wasn’t damaged, he said he still felt the fire’s impact because his cousin’s house and places from his childhood were destroyed.

“I was upset because the place I grew up, the places I go, the beaches I go surfing at, the staircase there and all the restaurants that we used to go to are not there anymore,” Lande said. “So, it turned from a little bit of a panic to worry to sadness.” 

Dylan Ferguson, ‘27, has lived in both Malibu and Venice. Like Lande, he said he’s lost childhood memories due to the fire. 

Ferguson said about 30% of his former high school burned down, and a camp in the Palisades he attended and worked at for three years was significantly damaged.

“A lot of aspects of my life outside my home were impacted,” Ferguson said. “It’s sad.”

Abby Fischler, ‘28, is from Los Angeles. She said witnessing her friends’ homes burn down and seeing the destruction through social media posts was deeply upsetting. 

“The saddest thing was watching house after house burn down online,” Fischler said. “My heart is just broken for everyone.”

In addition to destroying homes, the fire has created hazardous air quality and harsh breathing conditions for people in the Los Angeles area.

Fischler said she had to limit her time outdoors due to the heavy smoke and poor air quality caused by the fires. In order to ensure her safety, she said she began using an app called Watch Duty to help her stay informed on nearby fires and their containment levels. 

Despite the sadness Lande and Fischler experienced, both said they have felt supported by their friends at Lehigh throughout the duration of the fires.

Lande said many Lehigh students, even ones he hadn’t spoken to in a while, reached out to check on him.

“It was really nice to see people reach out,” Lande said. “Some people I wouldn’t even suspect reached out to see how I was doing.”

Fischler said she’s also felt supported by the Lehigh community.

“I was shocked at how many girls from Lehigh texted me,” Fischler said. “People reached out asking if I was okay. I thought that was really sweet.”

A few of Fischler’s friends from Palisades Charter High School launched Pali Strong 2025, a student-led initiative raising awareness and funds to repair the school. The initiative also collects and distributes donations to help individuals impacted by the fires. 

“(The fires) are devastating, but it’s something that this community is going to rebound from,” Ferguson said. “Whether that takes five to 10 years, this is a very strong community.”