January 2025 Southern California wildfires

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/january-2025-southern-california-wildfires

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the duration of wildfires?January 7 to January 31, 2025
2. What is the total acreage burned?57,529 acres (23,281 hectares)
3. What caused the January 2025 wildfires in Southern California?The land was very dry from a long drought, the air had very little moisture, and a lot of dry plants were ready to burn. Strong Santa Ana winds then pushed the fires across the area.
4. How did the Santa Ana winds affect the fires?The Santa Ana winds were very fast, sometimes as strong as hurricane winds, and they carried burning embers far ahead of the main fire. This made the fires spread much faster and harder to stop.

Urban-Wildland Interface: Areas where human development meets or is adjacent to undeveloped wildland areas prone to fire.
Relative Humidity: The amount of water vapor present in the air expressed as a percentage of the amount needed for saturation at the same temperature.
Arson: The criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property.
Meteorological Factors: Conditions related to weather, such as wind, temperature, and humidity, that influence fire behavior.