Angelenos anxious and tired of wildfires can hope for an end to the extreme winds that are fanning the blazes ravaging the region. The National Weather Service (NWS) said in a social media post Wednesday afternoon that while welcome, this reprieve may not last long.
“We’re worried about next week. We’re confident that nothing like last week will happen, but dangerous fire weather conditions are expected,” officials said.
The NWS added that Santa Ana winds on Monday and Tuesday will increase the likelihood of further red flag warnings.
Anticipated strong Santa Ana winds did not reverse a week’s worth of progress firefighters made on the Palisades and Eaton fires, but the fires continue to tear through parts of Los Angeles County. As of Wednesday evening, the two largest fires had killed at least 25 people, burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed thousands of homes, places of worship and schools.
The National Weather Service issued the most extreme fire warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties, indicating “particularly dangerous conditions.”
“The danger is not over yet,” Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Christine Crowley said at a news conference Wednesday. “So please prioritize your safety.”
Officials in San Bernardino County, just northeast of Los Angeles, reported that a new fire broke out Wednesday afternoon, but firefighters were able to contain it to 34 acres. The county fire department confirmed there was no damage to buildings and no reports of injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The deadly Palisades Fire in the western suburbs of Los Angeles, the largest of four wildfires, was still only 19% contained as of Wednesday morning, more than a week after it started. Thousands of buildings were destroyed and residents killed. But the next largest fire, the Eaton Fire in the Altadena area of northeast Los Angeles County, is now 45% contained and has burned 14,100 acres, up 10% from Tuesday. Officials said the Eaton Fire is expected to remain within the existing fire radius.
Noxious gray smoke began to rise over the area, but health officials warned that wind-borne ash particles remained dangerous and urged residents to wear N95 or P100 masks. Ash particles cannot be detected by standard air monitoring equipment and may not be reflected in air quality index levels.
Firefighters were also struggling to extinguish two smaller fires: the persistent Hearst Fire north of Los Angeles and the new Auto Fire in Ventura County.
As of Tuesday, 88,000 people remained under evacuation orders, with an additional 84,000 at risk of new evacuation orders if the fires spread. Authorities on Tuesday raised the official death toll to 25. There were 18 deaths in the Eaton Fire and 7 in the Palisades Fire. That number is expected to rise as vast areas are still burning and crews work to reach parts of the many square miles of burnt remains.
Santa Ana’s ferocious winds are expected to subside by Thursday, but forecasters said the dry region remains at risk, with no significant chance of rain until Jan. 25.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the last time significant rain fell in Los Angeles was in early May of last year, when just 0.13 inches of rain fell in the city’s downtown area. The region’s lack of moisture and winds contribute to dangerous wildfires.
“Any kind of red flag warning is dangerous. But even within that range of situations there are gradients, so we needed a way to convey the message of the extremes of the extremes. And (a warning of a particularly dangerous situation”) ) came out of that,” meteorologist Ryan Kittel told the LA Times.
A brief respite came on Tuesday, with winds much calmer than expected, allowing firefighters to make progress in containing the Palisades and Eaton fires. The Bureau of Meteorology’s red flag warning for “particularly dangerous conditions” expired on Wednesday afternoon. But forecasters say gusty winds of 50 to 70 mph are possible in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Wednesday night.
Economic losses from the fires are estimated at $250 billion to $270 billion, making it the costliest fire disaster in American history. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she did not know the timeline for reconstruction.
“We are one city. We stand united,” she said. “The city and county will do everything in their power to facilitate rebuilding.”
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Eric Scott told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that the wildfires were “the most devastating natural disaster to hit the Los Angeles area.”
“I’ve been working here for 20 years and I’ve never seen or imagined such widespread devastation,” he said.
Southern California Edison, the region’s largest utility, cut power to more than 58,000 customers in Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Tuesday. The utility said more than 200,000 additional customers could be without power on Wednesday due to expected extreme winds.
The utility has come under intense scrutiny in recent days, with multiple lawsuits filed against the company. Residents and business owners in areas near the Eaton fire said they saw the foundations of power transmission towers on fire before the Eaton fire started.
The company said it had received a notice to preserve evidence from the insurance company, and analysis of electrical circuit information showed no power outages or abnormalities before or after the fire.
