Firefighters prepare for increasing gusts following brief reprieve for LA area
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Firefighters in Southern California readied for another round of critical fire weather after calmer than expected winds Tuesday gave them a much-needed reprieve in which they were able to make progress battling the Los Angeles area's largest blaze and quickly snuff out several smaller new fires.
With winds not reaching dangerous levels Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service pushed back its dire warning of critical fire weather until 3 a.m. Wednesday. The so-called red flag warnings were to remain in effect from Central California to the Mexican border until late afternoon Wednesday as firefighters battled two massive blazes that have killed at least 25 people.
“Key message: We are not out of the woods yet,” the weather service said in a post on social media. “The winds underperformed today, but one more enhancement could happen tonight-tomorrow.”. The latest round of Santa Ana winds was not expected to be as mighty as last week when gusts packed hurricane force, but they still could carry fire-sparking embers for miles.
Firefighters made more progress on the Palisades Fire, the largest and most stubborn blaze. CalFire Operations Section Chief Christian Litz said Tuesday evening that he took a helicopter ride around the perimeter and saw no active flames, though it was far from over.
More than 77,000 households were without electricity as utilities shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new blazes. A state of alert. Weary and anxious residents were told to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the skies and on each other: Police announced roughly 50 arrests, for looting, flying drones in fire zones, violating curfew and other crimes.
