Los Angeles firefighters are put on high alert as dry, intense winds fan two massive wildfires that have killed at least 24 people and laid waste to much of the region. The National Weather Service said gusts of Santa Ana winds of 50 to 70 mph Tuesday and Wednesday threatened to fuel a volatile situation already.
According to the weather service, the red flag warning issued depicted the conditions as a “particularly dangerous situation,” raising fears of new fires erupting and already existing ones flaring up. Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warned residents that the worst is far from over, and they should continue to be watchful despite the positive developments in terms of controlling the flames over the last few days.
With the winds picking up, more than 8,500 firefighters have been deployed to battle the fires from both the air and on the ground. State authorities have also pre-positioned firefighting crews in Southern California counties facing heightened fire risks. The Palisades and Eaton fires, which ignited during last week’s powerful winds, continue to burn on the city’s western and eastern edges.
The fires have already ravaged whole neighbourhoods, and the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams conduct house-to-house searches in the charred ruins. For John Adolph, a resident of Altadena who lost his home in the Eaton fire, the scenes were terrifying: “walls of flames two stories tall” and “tornadoes of flame.” He and his family are now staying with friends after their home was reduced to ashes.
As Southern California experiences these extreme conditions, authorities remain focused on preventing further devastation and loss of life.
