Hundreds of thousands in Southern California faced new threats of fire-spreading high winds on Wednesday as firefighters continued to fight wildfires that have killed at least 25 people and left nearly 30 missing.
A day after firefighters got a reprieve with lighter winds than expected, gusts were hitting up to 56 kilometers per hour on the Pacific coast and 88 kilometers per hour in the mountains before dawn, National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Hall said.
“This is really just the last push of these winds here today,” Hall said. “Hopefully, if we get through today, we’re going to have some better conditions for late week, especially into Friday and Saturday.”
The National Weather Service issued a high-level “particularly dangerous situation” warning through 3 p.m. local time Wednesday and extended a red-flag warning through Thursday for some areas north of the city.
“Please stay on guard for a fast-moving fire,” forecasters said.
On Tuesday, weaker-than-expected winds had allowed firefighters to make some progress in containing the two largest blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires, but they were far from fully controlled. Authorities said that the Palisades blaze was 19% contained and the Eaton fire 45%.
But no more homes or major structures were reported burning in the two blazes, although officials said embers could still be lingering unseen and that it could take weeks to fully extinguish them.
The wildfires, which ignited on January 7, have displaced more than 100,000 people and left thousands more on edge, wondering whether they could be forced to evacuate their homes and flee for safety on a moment’s notice. More than 82,000 people in Los Angeles County are under evacuation orders, with another 90,400 under evacuation warnings, county Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters.
Diminishing winds will likely make it easier for firefighters to gain control of the blazes, though meteorologists have warned the dangerous Santa Ana windstorms may return early next week. Weather forecasts show little to no chance of rain.
Utility companies have shut off power to more than 77,000 households to prevent their power lines from sparking new blazes.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told reporters she took an aerial tour of the affected areas on Monday.
“The massive, massive destruction is unimaginable until you actually see it,” Bass said.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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