The Jan. 25 death is the 12th fatality connected to the Palisades Fire, while another 17 are attributed to the Eaton Fire, officials said

Human-caused climate change increased the likelihood and intensity of the hot, dry and windy conditions that fanned the flames of the recent devastating Southern California wildfires, a scientific

The hot, dry and windy conditions that preceded the Southern California fires were about 35% more likely because of climate change, according to a new report.

Human-caused climate change made the Los Angeles-area fires more likely and more destructive, according to a study out Tuesday. Why it matters: The study — from an international group of 32 climate researchers — shows how climate change fits into the myriad factors that made the multiple blazes one of California's most destructive and expensive wildfire disasters on record.

Exceptionally dry weather has targeted Southern California so far this winter, creating ideal conditions for wildfires.

So far, many clues to the origins of the deadly Eaton fire, which started in the area just after 6 p.m. that evening and went on to kill 17 people, have pointed to the brushy hillside where a tangle of electrical lines stretch up Eaton Canyon.

Much-needed rain has begun to fall over Southern California, bringing relief to the drought-stricken region but also the threat of toxic runoff.

The recent storm brought some much needed moisture to Southern California without the dangerous mudslides some feared. But did it help reduce the fire danger?