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.

Raging wildfires that continue to burn a path of destruction through Southern California claimed the Will Rogers ranch along with a number of other local landmarks in what is already the most damaging fire in Los Angeles history.

Rows of cars at a dealership, blasted by flames, looked like they had been bombed. A man wearing a mask walked by debris of a neighborhood destroyed. A couple, arms around each other, looked at what was left of their smoldering home. A statue of a human, without a head, lay on a street.

Among thousands of reports of property damage and loss in the blazing California wildfires, two historic sites suffered significant losses.

The devastating wildfires in California have claimed two significant pieces of California’s cultural heritage, State Parks officials have confirmed.

Devastating wildfires continue to burn across Southern California, killing at least five and forcing hundreds of thousands out of their homes.

The wildfires sweeping through Pacific Palisades, California, have devastated the Will Rogers Historic Stable. Built in the 1920s by Hollywood cowboy Will Rogers, the stable was an iconic part of Will Rogers State Historic Park.

The parks are home to iconic historical homes, including Will Rogers’ ranch house and the Topanga Ranch Motel, once owned by William Randolph Hearst.