Wildfires in Los Angeles disrupted school for thousands of vulnerable students

More than 750,000 students in Los Angeles missed school due to January’s devastating wildfires, with low-income, Latino, and English-language learners facing the greatest hardships, a new analysis finds.

Liza Gross reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

The L.A. wildfires killed 29 people and damaged over 16,250 buildings, including schools, displacing students and disrupting education.
Three out of four affected students were from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and two out of five were multilingual learners who rely on in-person language support.
School closures also cut off access to essential services like meals and after-school programs, further stressing families, especially undocumented immigrants facing additional fears of deportation.

Key quote:

“The basic facts are undeniable. Extreme weather events, made more frequent and intense by climate change, pose a clear and present danger to our education system.”

— Matthew Kraft, associate professor of education and economics, Brown University

Why this matters:

As climate-driven disasters become more frequent and intense, schools across the country, especially those in vulnerable communities, are struggling to keep classrooms open and students on track. Wildfires, floods, and extreme heat are forcing closures, sometimes for weeks, disrupting learning and straining families who rely on schools for far more than education.

For students in disadvantaged communities, the impact is especially severe. Many depend on schools for daily meals, access to technology, and language support. When classrooms shut down, those lifelines disappear. The disruptions also place added pressure on working parents who may not have flexible jobs or reliable childcare options. As climate disasters become more frequent, the question looms: How can schools adapt to a reality where extreme weather is no longer an occasional threat, but a recurring challenge?

insideclimatenews.org

Wildfires in Los Angeles disrupted school for thousands of vulnerable students

As geothermal networks grow, so does the call for a new utility model

House spending plan slaps hefty inspection fees on offshore wind projects

Should I get air conditioning in the UK – and can it be green?

EPA rollbacks could raise air conditioning, refrigeration costs despite promise of lower prices

Video: How the AI boom is powered by legal loopholes and secret deals

A shock to the system could slash cement’s emissions

A company funded by Bill Gates wants to capture BC's carbon

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.