California firefighters backed by fresh reinforcements of manpower and equipment prepared for the potential of new or worsening wildfires in southern California on Tuesday amid warnings of high winds and dry conditions.
The National Weather Service said wind gusts Tuesday could exceed 100 kph, putting large areas of southern California under extreme fire danger warnings.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Monday that firefighters were “absolutely better prepared” than when a series of wildfires rapidly emerged last week, but that the wind gusts could force authorities to ground the aircraft critical to the firefighting effort.
Such restrictions were in place for part of last week as four major fires burned. Together, those blazes have scorched more than 160 square kilometers.
Firefighters have brought one fire fully under control, while another north of Los Angeles was 97% percent contained.
Danger remained from the two largest fires, including the Palisades Fire on the western side of Los Angeles that has burned 96 square kilometers and was 14% contained as of late Monday, according to the California Department of Foresty and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The other major fire was the Eaton Fire in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains on the east side of the city. That fire was 33% contained and has burned 57 square kilometers, Cal Fire said.
The fires have killed at least 24 people, while authorities continue to search for dozens of people who have been reported missing.
About 100,000 people in the region remained under evacuation orders.
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged additional federal support on Monday and said during a briefing at the White House, “We’re going to keep doing everything possible to help you get through this.”
“It was a heartbreaking weekend for a lot of people in Los Angeles,” Biden said. “Ash was raining down like snow, homes burned to the ground.
Thousands of those homes are gone. And we learned we lost more of our fellow Americans. So, let’s say again to the people of Los Angeles, we’re with you.”
The president also praised the work of emergency responders.
“Los Angeles is the City of Angels, and you’re now the angels,” Biden said. “You’re the angels literally saving people’s lives, and we owe you.”
Biden said the federal government was providing aid to help with overtime pay for firefighters, debris removal and temporary shelters. He said the region will need tens of billions of dollars to recover and called on Congress to “step up” and provide funding.
Some Republican leaders in Congress have suggested federal aid only be given with conditions, as they criticized California leaders for what they allege is mismanaging water and forest resources.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has said in recent days that the state has increased its firefighter force and forest management efforts since he took office in 2019.
On Monday, a lawsuit filed against Southern California Edison claims the utility’s equipment sparked the deadly Eaton Fire that began Jan. 7.
Edison acknowledged that fire agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller fire in the area that also occurred Jan. 7.
Authorities have not yet determined an official cause for the fire.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also was sued on Monday. The suit claims that the utility failed to properly manage water supplies critical to fighting the deadly Palisades Fire, which has killed at least eight people and destroyed thousands of structures, according to the court filing.
Some information was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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