Los Angeles braces for strong winds amid fire risk
January 15, 2025
Fresh warnings were issued as Santa Ana winds blew over Los Angeles and surrounding areas in California.
Two massive fires have been burning since last week, killing at least 25 people.
By Tuesday evening, the strength of the winds had subsided, but they were expected to pick up speed overnight. The winds are expected to cause extreme fire risks, forecasters said.
"Stay aware of your surroundings. Be ready to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire," the National Weather Service said.
LA and Ventura counties at risk
The agency said Red Flag Warnings are in effect across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and parts of San Louis Obispo and Santa Barbara through Wednesday.
Los Angeles and Ventura counties were in a "Particularly Dangerous Situation."
"We've got helicopters ready to go, to drop water on any new fires," said Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department.
Canada, Mexico and other states provide firefighters
Weary firefighters have received backup from other states as well as Canada and Mexico.
LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the winds were not as strong as the ones last week but could potentially ground firefighting crews.
He said if winds reach 70 mph (112 kph), it would be hard to contain the fire. He also warned homeless people against starting fires to protect themselves from the cold.
Electricity cut for 90,000 households
Electricity was cut for about 90,000 households to prevent power lines from sparking new fires. Hundreds have been asked to evacuate, and about 88,000 people are currently displaced, which is half the number from last week.
Several residents have been asked to evacuate at a moment's notice.
"We all left with the clothes on our back. We thought we'd be able to come back in the morning. We didn't think the fires were gonna do what they did," Sonja Jackson told the Los Angeles Times.
Police said about 50 people had been arrested for theft, violating curfews, flying drones in fire zones and other crimes. Some were arrested for setting up small fires.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday also asked debris removal teams to be on standby, due to the risk of winter storms and landslides.
Estimates of the damages by insurers have risen as the disaster has worsened. AccuWeather estimated the total cost to be between $250 and $275 billion (between €242 and €267 billion).
The Los Angeles area has been experiencing a dry spell and has had almost a dozen wildfires this year. Hollywood's awards season has been put on hold due to the crisis.
tg/jsi (AFP, AP, Reuters)