One Year Since The Palisades Wildfire Ravaged California: What It Shares With The Camp Fire, And The Realities Of "Fire" We Should Prepare For In Singapore

Driving on a freeway near Los Angeles last weekend, the hillsides looked exactly as they did that day one year ago. Blackened, charred trees stand dead, and in many places, the slopes are still thick with ash. Yes, it's almost been a year since the Palisades Fire sent shockwaves through Southern California in January 2025.

That day, the dry, fierce Santa Ana winds sweeping down from the Santa Monica Mountains rapidly fanned the flames. The upscale neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades was quickly engulfed, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate. Multiple wildfires erupted simultaneously across Southern California, making national headlines as the January 2025 Southern California wildfires. Fortunately, the loss of life from the Palisades Fire was minimal, but the area burned spanned approximately 10,000 acres—equivalent to about 850 Tokyo Domes.

A Scene Echoing The Nightmare Of The Camp Fire

Seeing this devastation, I can't help but be transported back to memories from seven years ago: the Camp Fire that tore through Northern California in November 2018. Back then, the small town of Paradise was utterly obliterated. I went there myself, and the scene was like something out of a war zone. The remains of 85 people were found in the ashes, with many more unaccounted for. The Camp Fire still stands as the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California's history.

The Palisades and the Camp Fire share a critical commonality: they both occurred in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). In areas where housing developments border forests and wildlands, once a fire catches, it's nearly impossible to stop. In California, where climate change is driving increasing aridity, wildfires are no longer just "extreme weather" – they're becoming a seasonal norm.

Lessons For Us Living In Singapore

You might think, "Well, that's half a world away." But this hits closer to home than we realise. Think back to the 2016 fire in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture, where strong winds caused a conflagration that ravaged the city centre. Here in my own hometown of Kobe, we learned harsh lessons from the fires following the Great Hanshin Earthquake. But the crucial thing is to translate that awareness into daily, practical preparedness.

In California, authorities urge residents to take these steps before every fire season. These are all measures we can easily adopt in Singapore too.

• Create a "defensible space": Keep your immediate surroundings clear. Don't store dry grass, firewood, or other flammable materials within five metres of your home.
• Prepare an emergency kit: Pack a grab-and-go bag with essential documents, water, non-perishable food, N95 masks, and other necessities.
• Have a family evacuation plan: Fires can strike in the middle of the night. Discuss and establish multiple escape routes and a designated meeting point.
• Check hazard maps regularly: Know your area's fire risk. Stay updated with information from national agencies like NParks or Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

That last point is especially important. In recent years, agencies like Japan's Forestry Agency have made risk more visible by publishing "wildfire prevention maps." And don't assume you're safe just because you live in a city. Pacific Palisades was an affluent urban neighbourhood, and it was reduced to scorched earth in no time.

Don't Let Fire Become Just A Memory – Keep It In The Records

The final death toll from the Camp Fire remains uncertain to this day. That's a testament to the sheer scale of the catastrophe. For many who lost their homes in the Palisades Fire, the long road to rebuilding their lives continues. What we can do is to ensure these events aren't forgotten. And if a similar disaster ever strikes here, I hope the lessons learned from these tragedies might help save lives.

If the sirens wailed tonight, would you be ready to evacuate without hesitation? Fire always strikes without warning. The scorched landscapes of California stand as a silent, urgent reminder of that truth.