Dangerous winds expected to amplify California wildfires while death toll is 24
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Though firefighters worked to contain over weekend, severe fire conditions expected through Wednesday. Firefighters battling the disastrous wildfires around Los Angeles are prepared for a return of dangerous winds that could again stoke the flames as the death toll in the tragedy has hit at least 24.
Fierce gusts known as Santa Ana winds have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires into devastating infernos that leveled huge tranches of entire neighborhoods around America’s second-largest city which has also been hit by drought. The National Weather Service has issued a rare warning of a “particularly dangerous situation”, beginning overnight Monday into Tuesday with severe fire conditions through Wednesday. There could be sustained winds of up to 40mph (64 km/h) and gusts in the mountains reaching 70 mph (113 kph).
Los Angeles county fire chief Anthony C Marrone said 70 additional water trucks had arrived to help firefighters fend off flames spread by any renewed gusts. “We are prepared for the upcoming wind event,” Marrone said. In all, four fires have consumed more than 62 sq miles (160 sq km), an area larger than San Francisco. The Eaton fire near Pasadena and the Palisades fire, in a wealthy enclave along the Pacific coast, alone accounted for 59 sq miles (nearly 153 sq km). Early estimates suggest they could be the nation’s costliest ever, as much as $150bn, according to an AccuWeather estimate.
