How many trees are dying in California due to droughts?
Indeed, an estimated 36. California in 2022 — a notable increase from the 9. U. S. Forest Service. Official California records indicate that the devastating series of wildfires that occurred in Los Angeles County in January 2025 resulted in 31 direct deaths, but a new study by the School of Public Health and the University of Helsinki indicates that the actual death toll is nearly 15 times higher.The wildfires killed between 31–440 people, forced more than 200,000 to evacuate, destroyed more than 18,000 homes and structures, and burned over 521,632 acres (211,097 ha; 815.
Why don’t trees burn in LA?
Trees are more likely to survive because moist foliage will not burn until it is heated sufficiently to drive off the moisture. When the winds are moving fast often it is past the trees before they have dried sufficiently to ignite. The trees survived because they are filled with water: The roots draw moisture from soil and transport it through branches to its leaves. When the fires erupted in January, trees in Los Angeles had been especially nourished after two previous rainy winters.Certain trees survived, according to Cal Fire, because they have a natural adaptation to withstand fire, such as thick bark, a shape that sheds embers and higher moisture content than the structures that caught fire.