A ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ is forecast for fire-scarred Los Angeles area
LOS ANGELES — Millions of Southern Californians were on edge as a final round of dangerous fire weather was forecast for the region on Wednesday, along with a rare warning of an “extremely dangerous situation” for an area near two huge fires have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Firefighters got a reprieve Tuesday when winds were unexpectedly light and they were able to make progress battling the two massive fires in the Los Angeles area and quickly extinguish several new blazes.
The Eaton Fire burning just north of Los Angeles and the Palisades Fire that destroyed much of L.A.’s coastal Pacific Palisades neighborhood broke out on Jan. 7 under conditions similar to those expected Wednesday. The high winds of the past week pushed and carried the flames with remarkable speed fire-sparking embers sometimes miles away.
The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings — issued when temperatures are warm, humidity is low and high winds are expected — from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. from the central coast 275 miles (443 kilometers) south to the border with Mexico. The “particularly dangerous situation” applied to an area that includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
“Key message: We are not out of the woods yet,” the weather service said in a message late Tuesday. “The wind underperformed today, but there could be further improvement tonight, tomorrow.”
More than 77,000 homes were left without electricity as utilities cut power to prevent their lines from sparking new fires.
Tired and anxious residents were told to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They remained vigilant, monitoring the sky and each other: Police announced about 50 arrests for looting, flying drones into fire zones, violating curfew and other crimes.
Of those, three people were arrested on suspicion of arson after they were seen lighting small fires that were immediately extinguished, LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. One used a barbecue lighter, another lit a brush and a third tried to light a garbage can, he said. They were all located far outside the disaster areas. Authorities have not determined a cause for any of the major fires.
The nine people charged with looting included a group that stole an Emmy award from an evacuated home, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
The biggest concern remained the threat of heavy winds. Now supported by firefighters from other states, Canada and Mexico, crews were deployed to attack flare-ups or new fires. The fire brigade was much larger than a week ago, when the first wave of fires began destroying thousands of homes in what could become the country’s costliest fire disaster.
Kaylin Johnson and her family planned to spend the night at their home, one of the few remaining in Altadena, near Pasadena. They planned to stand guard to ward off looting and hose down her neighbors’ home and property to prevent flare-ups.
“Our lives have been put on hold indefinitely,” Johnson said via text message, adding that they cannot come and go freely due to restrictions on entering the fire sites. “But I’d rather be here and not leave than not be allowed back at all.”
Residents said they were ready to make a hasty escape.
Javier Vega, who says he feels like he’s been “sleeping with one eye open,” and his girlfriend have figured out how to quickly pack up their two cats, eight fish and leopard geckos if they are ordered to evacuate.
“Normally, hearing helicopters flying overhead from midnight to 4 a.m. would drive anyone crazy,” Vega said. But thinking they were helping firefighters keep the flames from threatening their neighborhood, he explained, “it was actually comforting for me to go to sleep.”
Planes swamped houses and hills of bright pink fire retardant chemicalsas crews and fire trucks were deployed particularly vulnerable places with dry brush.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials who were criticism of their first response expressed confidence that the region is ready to face the new threat. The mayor said she was able to fly over the disaster areas, which she said resembled the aftermath of a “dry hurricane.”
No wind was expected this time reaching the same fierce speeds as last week but they were able to ground firefighting planes, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.
He urged homeless people not to set fires for warmth and to seek shelter.
With almost no rain in more than eight months, the brush-filled region has had more than a dozen forest fires this year, primarily in the greater Los Angeles area.
Firefighters responded to small fires that emerged, quickly smothering several in Los Angeles County, including a blaze Tuesday evening in the Angeles National Forest.
The four largest fires around the nation’s second-largest city have destroyed more than 100 square miles (163 square kilometers), about three times the size of Manhattan. Of these, the Eaton Fire near Pasadena was roughly contained a thirdwhile the largest fire, in coastal Pacific Palisades, was much less contained.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the death toll is likely to rise. Nearly 30 people are still missing, he said on Tuesday. Some people who were previously reported missing have been found.
Just under 90,000 people in the province remained under evacuation ordershalf the number of last week.
Hollywood awards season has been put on pause due to the crisis. The Oscar nominations have been postponed twice, and some organizations have postponed their awards ceremonies and announcements without rescheduling.
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Watson reported from San Diego and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press journalists Christopher Weber and Lindsey Bahr in Los Angeles, Lisa Baumann and Hallie Golden in Seattle and Julie Walker in New York contributed.