Work

Socio-ecological impacts of the 2025 Los Angeles urban fires on communities, neighborhoods, and homes

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Human settlements are increasingly being impacted by urban fires initiated by wildfires. Metrics such as area burned and number of structures destroyed are important, but research often overlooks the socio-ecological complexity of urban fires. We study the impacts of the 2025 Los Angeles fires on two communities at the neighborhood and residential parcel scales. Geospatial analyses and econometric modeling explore the relationships between urban morphology, socio-demographic factors, and home destruction. Here we show that socio-ecological characteristics and scale are key in parsing the dynamics of urban fires. Also, new socio-demographic populations are being affected and urban morphology metrics are more important than vegetation cover. Despite parallels with 19 th and early 20 th century urban conflagrations, understanding these re-emerging urban fires requires transdisciplinary approaches and unique metrics. Investigating the socio-ecological scales and dynamics of urban fires provides a valuable next step towards understanding and adapting to the risk associated with these disasters.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-71376-1

Authors: Carl A. Norlen, Sadikshya Sharma, Francisco J. Escobedo

Institutions: Ames Research Center, United States Geological Survey, US Forest Service, Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, Pacific Southwest Research Station

Language: English

Topic: Disaster Management and Resilience

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,990