For more than a century, conservation policy has focused on economic development and wisely using natural resources.

As Los Angeles recovers from its devastating wildfires, environmental engineers, urban planners and natural disaster experts are casting forward with visions of what could come next for neighborhoods that have been reduced to ash and rubble.

As Los Angeles reels from the loss of lives and homes to the Easton and Palisades fires, scientists are asking why the events of this January have been so catastrophic.

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.

The analysis by the World Weather Attribution's climate scientists links the fires that broke out on January 7 to man-made climate change, which has extended the fire-prone conditions by an additional 23 days each year in California.

Climate change was a major factor behind the hot, dry weather that gave rise to the devastating LA fires, a scientific study has confirmed. It made those weather conditions about 35% more likely, according to World Weather Attribution - globally recognised for their studies linking extreme weather to climate change.

The fires that devastated neighbourhoods in Los Angeles, killing 28 people and burning over 16,000 homes and buildings, are not a one-off, according to a new rapid analysis, and researchers say they are now significantly more likely to happen due to climate change.