Air Traffic Disrupted as Wildfires Continue to Rage in Southern California

FAA has established several temporary flight restrictions in the region to protect aircraft involved in the firefighting operations.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, January 09, 2025 at 02:48 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

[Courtesy: Los Angeles County Fire Department]

Key Takeaways:

Southern California is experiencing widespread, uncontained wildfires (e.g., Palisades, Eaton fires) that have led to 180,000 evacuations, over 1,000 destroyed structures, and at least five confirmed fatalities.
Extensive firefighting efforts are underway, with over 7,500 personnel and numerous aerial assets deployed by state, federal, and inter-state agencies, though future efforts are challenged by predicted 60 mph winds.
The fires have significantly impacted air travel, resulting in FAA temporary flight restrictions, affected commercial airport operations (KLAX, KBUR, KONT, KSNA), and airline flight waivers and service disruptions due to hazardous conditions.

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Calming winds allowed aerial firefighters to deploy in Southern California late Wednesday as wildfires continued to plague the region.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the agency was able to utilize 12 helicopters and six airplanes to support the more than 1,100 firefighters assigned to the containment efforts. Several western states are also sending fire personnel, trucks, and aircraft to help combat the fires, officials said.