Weather Service Issues Severe Fire Warning As Winds Pick Up

After a brief reprieve, Southern California faces two days of dangerous winds that officials fear could expand current fires and spark new ones.

Firefighters spent Monday carving containment lines around the Eaton and Palisades fires and finalizing preparations ahead of a windstorm that’s expected to hit a swath of the region including Ventura County, the San Fernando Valley and part of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley, bringing wind gusts ranging from 45 mph to 70 mph.

The LA Times reports officials have been able to make progress over the last few days thanks to an easing of winds, which allowed for an aerial campaign that stopped the Palisades fire from hitting Brentwood and Encino. Authorities hope to be able to keep aircraft up Tuesday, but it’s unclear how much the conditions will allow.

“We are not in the clear as of yet, and we must not let our guard down,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said during a news conference Monday.

The National Weather Service’s warning of a particularly dangerous situation “is one of the loudest ways that we can shout,” said Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

“This is a continued extreme fire weather and wind scenario,” Schoenfeld said.

The Palisades fire had burned more than 23,700 acres and was 14% contained as of Monday. The Eaton fire, which has burned more than 14,100 acres, was 33% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Mexican firefighters and emergency personnel have arrived in Los Angeles to help fight the fire. Gov. Gavin Newsom said 72 firefighters arrived Saturday, joining thousands of others battling the fires.

An additional 1,000 members of the California National Guard are also being sent to fire-ravaged Los Angeles. They will bring the total number of Guard members in the region to about 2,500, according to the governor’s office.

Hundreds of federal personnel and aircraft have also been deployed to California to support firefighting efforts, President Biden said Monday.

About 92,000 people remain under evacuation orders, and 89,000 others are in areas where evacuation warnings have been issued.