A massive wildfire in Los Angeles (LA), the largest city in the western United States, continued for the eighth day on the 14th (local time), with strong gusts of wind hindering firefighting efforts.
The National Weather Service (NWS) had forecast strong winds for parts of LA County and Ventura County for three days (13th to 15th) and issued a red flag warning for a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” (PDS).
The NWS created an “extreme fire danger” advisory image, marking areas subject to the red flag warning, regions considered “particularly dangerous situations,” and areas with weather conditions prone to fires on a map of southwestern California, including LA. The warning advised people to be ready to evacuate at any moment and to avoid anything that could spark a fire.
According to the high wind warning reissued by the NWS at 4 a.m. that day, it is expected that northwest and northeast mountain regions, covering nearly half of LA County, will experience northeast winds with an average speed of about 48 to 65 km/h. During gusts, the wind speed could reach approximately 113 km/h.
Meanwhile, the humidity in the area remains very low, between 8 and 15%, exacerbating the fire risk.
Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the NWS, expressed concern that the combination of strong winds and extremely dry weather could lead to the expansion of new fires. He warned of the potential for creating a fire tornado (fire column) or spreading embers up to 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 km) away.
According to authorities, a total of around 170,000 residents have received evacuation orders (about 88,000) or warnings to prepare for evacuation (approximately 84,000), and the evacuation alerts could expand depending on the severity of the situation.
Robert Luna, the LA County Sheriff, advised at a press briefing that even if a warning to prepare for evacuation is issued, people should leave their homes immediately as if an evacuation order had been given and not wait for a formal evacuation command.
Meanwhile, no additional fatalities were discovered during searches of affected areas, maintaining the current death toll at 24. The LA County Sheriff’s Office stated that investigations into reports of 24 missing persons are ongoing.
In related news, attempts at arson in the region have been detected. Jim McDonnell, the LAPD Chief, revealed that three arson attempts have been intercepted within LA City since the 12th. Police and fire units responded swiftly to extinguish all three incidents completely.
Additionally, the LA Sheriff’s Office reported that 39 individuals were arrested on charges of night-time curfew violations, theft, and illegal drone flights while patrolling wildfire-affected areas.