Dangerous gale-force winds are expected to return today, jeopardizing efforts to put out two giant fires that are burning entire neighborhoods, destroying thousands of buildings and having .
Dry Santa Ana winds of 80 to 112 kilometers per hour are expected to blow again today and sweep the region through Wednesday, according to the US weather service, which issued a red alert for an “extremely hazardous situation” .
Firefighters managed to keep the fires from spreading overnight and are bracing for strong winds in the coming days, firefighters said at a news conference this morning.
“We’re not safe yet,” Los Angeles City Fire Chief Christine Crowley said. “We must not be complacent as we are currently dealing with extreme fire behaviour.”
Officials say the state is proactively deploying fire crews to vulnerable areas, including around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the largest fires raging in Los Angeles. More than 8,500 firefighters are battling the flames on these two fronts.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marone said firefighters are “absolutely better prepared” for gale-force winds this week after wildfires grew rapidly last week amid similarly grim warnings from forecasters.
More ground firefighting forces have been deployed to the field and additional firefighting aircraft are currently operating, he said, although he admitted they could not guarantee anything.
“We are never sure that we will be able to reach the next fire and keep it under control,” he said.
At least 24 people have died in the fires that started last Tuesday and more than 150,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes. More than 20 people are missing, according to authorities.
Police are finding human remains daily as they “comb” the burned neighborhoods of Altadina, where the Eaton Fire started, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
“It’s a very difficult task,” Luna stressed, adding that he expected the confirmed death toll to rise in the coming days.
The flames have flattened entire neighborhoods, leaving behind a scene of the Apocalypse. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the firestorm could rank as the most devastating natural disaster in US history. AccuWeather Company estimates the amount of damage and financial losses between 135 to 150 billion dollars.
Gusty winds threaten firefighting operations
The return of strong winds threatens any progress made in containing the fires.
Over the weekend, air and ground fire fighters were able to contain the Palisades fire, which had spread through the affluent Brentwood neighborhood and was moving toward the densely populated San Fernando Valley further north.
This fire, in the western part of the metropolis, has turned into ashes 96 square kilometers of land and has been contained to a percentage of 14%.
The Eaton fire in the foothills east of Los Angeles has burned 57 square kilometers, with firefighters 33 percent contained.
Together, the two fires have burned an area nearly the size of Washington DC
North of the city, the Hurst Fire is 89 percent contained, and three other fires that ravaged other parts of the county are now fully contained, Cal Fire said.
Los Angeles residents, even those far from the fires, are being advised by authorities to wear N95 masks when outside because of the smoke.
City police and county sheriff’s deputies have arrested dozens of people in recent days for violating curfews and evacuation orders, shoplifting, shoplifting, flying drones without a permit and in at least one case for impersonating a firefighter, according to officials.
In anticipation of the return of gale force winds today, officials warned the population of nearly 10 million citizens throughout Los Angeles County to be on standby to evacuate areas.
Second postponement for the announcement of Oscar nominations
The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has postponed the announcement of this year’s nominations for the second time because of the fires raging in Los Angeles, the organizers of the ceremony announced today.
Nominations for the film industry’s top honors will now be announced on January 23. They were supposed to be this Friday and then moved to January 19th.
“Due to the wildfires that remain active in the Los Angeles area, we feel it is necessary to extend the voting period and move up the nomination announcement date in order to give our members more time,” said Academy CEO Janet Young. in an announcement.
For their part, Grammy organizers said the music industry awards ceremony will go ahead as scheduled on February 2.
“This year’s show, however, will have a renewed purpose: to raise money to support fire relief efforts and to honor the courage and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours,” Recording Academy officials said in a letter to its members.
RES/EMP
