California wildfires: A haunting look back on the night the flames first erupted in Los Angeles

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FILE-People watch the smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on January 07, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES - January 7, 2025 and the days that followed mark a significant time in Los Angeles history.

It’s the day the Eaton and Palisades fires first erupted in Los Angeles County and once vivid communities turned to ash as 31 people were killed – 19 in the Eaton Fire and 12 in the Palisades Fire. 

To add to the devastation, thousands of homeowners and business owners in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Altadena, lost everything– while schools and places of worship were also lost in the rubble. 

The night everything changed

In early January, forecasters with the National Weather Service warned of a "life-threatening" and "destructive" windstorm headed for Southern California. Unfortunately, those predictions came to fruition. 

PREVIOUS: 'Life-threatening' and 'destructive' windstorm headed to Southern California: What to know

Chaos erupts in the Pacific Palisades

Records from Cal Fire indicate it all started at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 7 when the Palisades Fire first erupted. The fast-moving fire fueled by howling winds quickly spread across the coastal community and residents were ordered to evacuate their homes as parents rushed to pick up their children from school. 

Chilling video from that afternoon captured the moments those desperate to get out of the community ditched their vehicles to escape the fire’s path. 

RELATED: Palisades fire chaos: Abandoned cars and traffic gridlock caught on video

Second massive wildfire erupts in the San Gabriel Valley

While local firefighters had their hands full in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, a second massive fire erupted roughly 38 miles away at Eaton Canyon in the Altadena community. The blaze continued to spread overnight as residents fled their homes.

SUGGESTED: Nursing home residents rescued from Altadena fire

Team coverage from FOX 11 that evening showed both fires had spread rapidly due to powerful Santa Ana winds. The winds were so strong, air tankers and helicopters were grounded that evening due to dangerous conditions and could not help in the firefight. 

Eaton and Palisades fires quickly grew overnight

The following morning, the Palisades Fire had grown to 2,921 acres while the Eaton Fire blackened 2,227 acres within hours.

Numbers from Cal Fire's final report

The Palisades Fire was active for 24 days and eventually spread to 23,448 acres in Cal Fire's final report. 

Damage assessment

• 973 structures damaged
• 6,837 structures destroyed
• 12 deaths
• 3 injured
• 1 confirmed firefighter injury

The firefight for the Eaton Fire was also active for 24 days and grew to a total of 14,021 acres. 

RELATED: Human remains found in Eaton Fire area, bringing death toll to 19

Damage assessment

• 1,074 structures damaged
• 9,414 structures destroyed
• 19 deaths
• 9 confirmed firefighter injuries

Click here for more on the investigations as communities continue to recover and rebuild.