Palisades Wildfire Arrest: Reflections on Arson and Climate Change
This week, the capture of the individual believed to have ignited the deadly Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles last January wasn’t particularly shocking. News hints about arson have been circulating since February. There have been prior arrests tied to wildfires in various locations, including New Jersey, New York, California, Hawaii, Canada, and Greece. So, it wasn’t really a surprise when the Justice Department shared that evidence of arson had emerged early in their investigation.
Of course, the instinct for many is to point fingers at climate change. Senator Bernie Sanders, for example, railed against climate change in a post that generated quite a buzz, garnering 18.5 million views. Various outlets, like The New York Times and PBS News Hour, quickly joined in echoing concerns about climate implications. Even some Biden administration officials and climate researchers have weighed in with their takes.
More recently, the National Academy of Sciences mentioned the Los Angeles fires as part of the broader narrative criticizing attempts to revoke greenhouse gas regulations. Yet, there’s been a long history indicating that climate change isn’t the main culprit in these fires. For instance, a piece from the Anaheim Gazette back in 1875 warned of a similar fire threat in the region. Descriptions of anxious residents fearing a devastating blaze due to a drying water supply sound a lot like what we experienced recently.
And really, we’ve seen echoes of the past—failed fire hydrants, burning structures, and gusty Santa Ana winds materialized once again during the 2025 events. The idea that we need global warming to explain these wildfires seems misplaced, especially given the recent climate data for Los Angeles, which shows cooler averages compared to decades ago.
There was even a notably dry spell in the fall of 2024, but interestingly enough, the population has held steady since 1895. There’s this ongoing debate about how accurately we can link such incidents to global warming. Pointing to the LA wildfires in that context has consequences; for example, Edison International saw a significant drop in their stock prices amid all the turmoil, despite stock markets otherwise hitting record highs.
As for the arson suspects in the Palisades case, it’s uncertain if they’ll face conviction. One thing remains clear: the narrative surrounding climate change might require a bit more scrutiny. Ahead of the 2020 Democratic primaries, Sanders suggested criminalizing fossil fuel executives for their stances on climate issues. Perhaps it’s time for a little self-reflection on narratives surrounding this complex topic.
