Los Angeles wind forecasts this week trigger a red flag warning for wildfires
Dangerously strong winds are expected to return to Los Angeles on Monday, potentially hampering efforts to put out two stubborn wildfires that have destroyed entire neighborhoods and killed at least two dozen people.
The National Weather Service issued an “extremely hazardous situation” warning, saying that dry Santa Ana winds of 80 to 112 kilometers per hour were expected to continue on Monday and continue into Wednesday.
The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns warned at a community meeting Sunday evening.
In anticipation, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said over the weekend that the state is pre-positioning firefighting efforts in vulnerable areas, including those around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the two largest fires burning in Southern California.
At least 24 people died in the fires that started on January 7. The fires turned entire neighborhoods into burning ruins and left an apocalyptic scene. Officials said at least 12,300 structures were damaged or destroyed Firefighters from CanadaMexico and seven other US states have gathered in the Los Angeles area to help their counterparts in California.
The return of strong winds threatens the progress made by crews in containing the fires. Over the weekend, aerial and ground firefighters were able to contain the Palisades Fire as it entered upscale Brentwood and advanced north into the San Fernando Valley.
The fire on the west side of the metropolis has covered an area of ​​96 square kilometers and reached 14 percent, which represents the percentage of the perimeter of the fire under the control of firefighters.
The Eaton fire in the foothills east of Los Angeles has burned 57 square kilometers – almost the size of Manhattan – although it has risen to 33 percent containment.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) says the Hurst fire north of the city is 89 percent contained, and three other fires ravaging other parts of the county are now 100 percent contained. fuse lines may still burn.
Caleb Serban-Lawler recounts the moment he drove up a mountain to rescue a woman and her four dogs as they faced wildfires in Los Angeles.
“Like something out of a movie”
In Altadena, just outside the Eaton Fire, Tristin Perez said he never left his home, ignoring police orders to evacuate as the fire raced down the hill.
Instead, Perez insisted on trying to save his property and the homes of his neighbors.
“Your front yard is on fire, the palm trees are on fire — it was like something out of a movie,” Perez told Reuters in an interview on the highway.
“I did everything I could to stop the line and save my house, save their house.”
As crews continue to battle devastating wildfires around Los Angeles, scientists and other experts are battling misinformation, from how the fires started to ongoing efforts to extinguish the flames.
Officials warned about 10 million people in Los Angeles County to prepare for evacuation ahead of Monday’s return of strong winds.
As of Sunday afternoon, more than 100,000 people were under evacuation orders in Los Angeles County — up from the previous 150,000 evacuated, with another 87,000 under evacuation warnings.
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