You wake up, smell that faint, acrid scent of campfire where it shouldn't be, and immediately check your phone. It’s the Los Angeles ritual nobody wants. If you are asking is LA fire still going, the answer is almost always a "yes" in some capacity, but the "where" and "how bad" change by the hour. Los Angeles County is essentially a collection of microclimates and fuel beds that are constantly under threat.
Right now, fire crews are playing a high-stakes game of whack-a-mole. While major infernos like the ones we saw in late 2025 have largely been moved into the "mop-up" phase, the risk never truly hits zero in Southern California. The brush is dry. The humidity is a joke.
The Current Status of Active Blazes
So, let's get into the dirt. As of mid-January 2026, the massive Bridge Fire and Line Fire scars from previous seasons are stable, but they aren't the primary concern today. The real focus is on the smaller, wind-driven starts that happen in the wildland-urban interface. These are the spots where million-dollar homes meet tinder-dry chaparral.
Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) are currently monitoring several "smolder points" in the Santa Monica Mountains. These aren't full-blown raging walls of flame, but they are active enough to keep air tankers on standby at Van Nuys.
Weather is the boss here.
When the Santa Ana winds kick up, a single cigarette butt or a sparking power line can turn a quiet morning into a mandatory evacuation in twenty minutes. It’s fast. It’s terrifying. Honestly, the term "fire season" is pretty much dead because the season is now year-round.
Why the Question "Is LA Fire Still Going" is Complicated
Fire containment isn't a binary "on or off" switch. Firefighters talk about "containment" versus "control." A fire might be 90% contained, meaning there is a line around it, but inside that line, the ground is still cooking.
- Containment: A physical barrier (cleared dirt) exists around the perimeter.
- Control: The fire is out, cold, and not expected to jump any lines.
- Mop-up: This is the grueling work. Firefighters literally dig into the dirt to find hot roots.
The topography of Los Angeles makes this a nightmare. Think about the steep canyons of Malibu or the rugged terrain behind Altadena. You can't just drive a fire truck up those slopes. You need hand crews—people with chainsaws and Pulaskis—doing the heavy lifting.
If you see smoke over the hills, it doesn't always mean a new disaster. Sometimes it's "islands" of unburned fuel inside the perimeter finally catching. It looks scary from the 405, but it's often handled.
The Role of the Santa Ana Winds
We can't talk about whether a fire is still going without mentioning the winds. These offshore gusts blow from the desert toward the ocean, drying out every leaf and twig in their path.
In January, we often see these "devil winds" peak.
They compress as they drop down the mountain passes, heating up and gaining speed. By the time they hit the basin, they are literal blowtorches. This is why a fire that was "under control" on Tuesday can become a frontline emergency by Wednesday night.
Real-Time Resources You Actually Need
Don't rely on a random tweet from three hours ago. If you’re smelling smoke and need to know if an LA fire is still going near you, go to the source.
- Watch Duty App: This is arguably the best tool created for Californians in the last decade. It’s crowdsourced but vetted by experts. It often beats the official news by ten or fifteen minutes.
- Cal Fire Incidents Map: The official word. If it’s on here, it’s a verified incident with an assigned number.
- National Weather Service (NWS) Los Angeles: Follow them for Red Flag Warnings. A Red Flag Warning means "stop doing anything that could cause a spark." No lawnmowers on dry grass. No outdoor welding.
The Environmental Toll Nobody Mentions
We talk a lot about houses and structures. That makes sense. But the "islands" of green that survive these fires are shrinking. Every time a hillside burns in LA, invasive mustard grass moves in. It grows fast, dies fast, and burns even faster than the native plants.
It’s a vicious cycle.
The soil also becomes "hydrophobic" after an intense fire. It literally repels water. So, when the rains finally come—if they ever do—the water doesn't soak in. It slides off, taking the mountain with it. This leads to the mudslides that often kill more people than the flames themselves. Just look at what happened in Montecito a few years back.
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What You Should Do Right Now
If there is a fire active in your vicinity, your "Go Bag" should already be in the car. Don't wait for the knock on the door. If you feel nervous enough to pack, just leave.
Hardening Your Home
You don't need to spend $50,000 to protect your spot.
Start with the "Zone Zero." This is the five-foot radius around your house. Remove the dead leaves. Get the woodpile away from the siding. If a stray ember lands in a pile of dry leaves against your wooden deck, your house is gone, even if the main fire is three miles away.
Embers are the real killers. They can travel miles ahead of the actual flames. They find the tiny gaps in your attic vents. They crawl into the eaves.
Air Quality Concerns
Even if the fire isn't burning your neighborhood, it’s still affecting you. The PM2.5 particles in wildfire smoke are small enough to enter your bloodstream through your lungs.
Keep your windows shut. Run your HVAC on "recirculate." If you have a portable HEPA filter, crank it to high. The "is LA fire still going" question matters for your lungs just as much as it does for your property.
The Nuance of Prescribed Burns
Occasionally, you'll see smoke and panic, only to find out it was a "prescribed burn." These are controlled fires set by professionals to clear out the undergrowth.
They are controversial.
Some people hate the smoke. Others worry they will get out of control. But the reality is that the land needs to burn. If we don't let it burn on a cool, calm day under supervision, it's going to burn on a 100-degree day with 60 mph winds. We are basically choosing the lesser of two evils.
Actionable Next Steps for LA Residents
The situation regarding is LA fire still going is fluid, but your preparation shouldn't be.
- Sign up for Alert LA County: This is the official emergency notification system. It uses your geolocated position to send text alerts.
- Check your "Defensible Space": Take twenty minutes this weekend to clear your gutters. Dry pine needles in a gutter are basically a fuse for your roof.
- Review your Insurance: Many carriers are dropping homeowners in "High Fire Risk" zones. Ensure your policy is active and check the "replacement cost" value. With inflation and construction costs in 2026, a policy from five years ago won't rebuild your house today.
- Update your digital inventory: Walk through your house with your phone and film everything. Open closets, look at serial numbers on electronics. If you have to file a claim, this video is your best friend.
Stay vigilant. The landscape is beautiful, but it's built to burn. Respect the fire, listen to the evacuation orders immediately, and keep your tech charged.