Los Angeles Battles Historic Wildfires, Yet Its Air Quality Is Better Than Delhi's

Los Angeles County in the US has been battling devastating wildfires for the past few days. Today, half of the city is on fire. The inferno has ripped through more than 19,000 acres of Pacific Palisades and Malibu. The death toll from the wildfires has continued to climb with at least 10 people known to have died and that toll may grow. However, astonishingly, even amidst the natural calamity, LA's air remains significantly cleaner than that of Delhi. 

The AQI in the US city was recorded at 154 today, which is far better than the air quality in the Indian capital. Delhi's air quality continued in the "very poor" category. According to IMD, the AQI was recorded at 372 in Delhi today. 

This stark contrast highlights a troubling reality for Delhi, where poor air has become a daily struggle. Noting the same, an X user shared a side-by-side comparison of AQI recorded in Delhi and LA on Friday. "Half of LA is on fire, but the air is still cleaner than Delhi's," the user wrote. 

Take a look below: 

Half of LA is on fire, but the air is still cleaner than Delhi's https://t.co/hQrRvjZFXI pic.twitter.com/AdLVYRkK4u

— Abhinav Kukreja (@kukreja_abhinav) January 9, 2025

In the comments section, several users pointed out that the air quality in LA is even better than in Mumbai. Some of them explained the cause, noting that it is because of the wind velocity and direction of it. 

"Wind direction is the cause, people burn parali in Haryana and Punjab, and effect is seen in Delhi, same wind caused havoc by supporting its spread and also protected air quality!" explained one user. "While Delhi aqi is truly awful, I don't think the comparison with a coastal city with heavy winds is very accurate," commented another. 

The Air Quality Index, often referred to as AQI, is a federal measure of the amount of air pollution. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good,' 51 and 100 'satisfactory,' 101 and 200 'moderate,' 201 and 300 'poor,' 301 and 400 'very poor,' and 401 and 500 'severe'. 

Also Read | Pics: Losses From Deadly Wildfires Across Los Angeles Likely To Hit $60 Billion

Meanwhile, five fires are still burning in LA. A Los Angeles County fire official said an untold number of significant injuries were linked to two of the fires, and a city official in Los Angeles described Tuesday night as "one of the most devastating and terrifying" that she had seen in her corner of the city.

Nearly 180,000 people are under evacuation orders due to the wildfires. Another 200,000 residents are under evacuation warnings. 

Thousands of structures, which include homes, commercial buildings and vehicles, have been damaged or destroyed. The insured losses from this week's fires may exceed $20 billion, and total economic losses could reach $50 billion, according to estimates published by JPMorgan on Thursday.