The mountains and foothills of Los Angeles County are in “extreme drought” conditions, about 36% of the county, explained Pugh. That’s one category shy of hitting the highest level, “exceptional drought,” and three higher than the lowest, “abnormally dry.” The rest of the county is in severe drought.

Even for homeowners outside of California, worsening extreme weather means higher insurance rates. In part because of escalating weather-related risks, home insurance rates have already jumped dramatically.

The 2025 wildfires in Southern California underscored the importance of having well-trained firefighting teams and readily available resources for rapid response.

Climate change isn’t the only driver of these fires, but it’s a key driver of wildfires in general — and of California wildfires in particular. Far from “natural,” disasters are inherently political.

More rain fell Monday on parts of Southern California after causing mudflows over the weekend, helping firefighters but boosting the risk of toxic ash runoff in areas scorched by Los Angeles-area wildfires.

Today, the Los Angeles Times is launching Boiling Point, a podcast about climate change and the environment in California and the American West. Yes, that’s the same name as this newsletter. I hope you’ll subscribe and listen.

Wildfires in Los Angeles are being driven by climate change, not political mismanagement, and California’s leaders have taken meaningful steps to address the issue, but the sheer scale of

Climate scientists PolitiFact spoke to disagreed with Trump Jr. and said climate change contributed to the Los Angeles fires’ size and destructiveness. Numerous studies have linked human-caused climate change to the western U.S.’ worsening wildfires.

Insurance companies canceled coverage on houses in neighborhoods that later burned. Government officials blame climate change, but the real problem lies with

However, Southern California is still likely to episodically ... the fact that the atmosphere is warming due to human-caused climate change is likely to make many fuels even drier than they ...

Ahead of the election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions from our readers to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you.