Southern California’s water crisis is fueling fires. These maps show just how dry the region is

On January 8, 2025, the soil moisture content, as measured down to about 40 inches, was in the bottom 2% historically for that day in the L.A. area.

Dry conditions across Southern California set the stage for a series of deadly wind-driven wildfires that burned thousands of homes and other structures in the Los Angeles area in early January 2025.