High winds threaten to cause a new fire in Southern California
A new Los Angeles fire broke out on Monday night and the Los Angeles National Forest is closing through Sunday due to “critical fire danger” adv. Brice Bennett
A new fire broke out in Southern California on Monday night, adding to the string of fires there in the past week that has left more than 20 people dead and hundreds of thousands under evacuation orders.
There have been several fires that broke out a week ago in Los Angeles County. The two largest fires, the Palisades and Eaton fires, remained largely uncontained. The Hurst Fire north of Los Angeles was 97% contained, Cal Fire said.
The National Weather Service forecasted high winds up to 70 miles per hour in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Wednesday, which could create new fires and exacerbate current ones.
The environment is expected to be extremely dangerous, favorable to very rapid-fire growth if a fire starts, but the winds are expected to oscillate over the next 48 hours.
“In the first 11 days of the year there have been more than 40,300 acres burned from 105 fires,” Deputy State Fire Marshal Brice Bennett said over the weekend. This is the second and fourth most destructive fires in California’s history, and it killed an estimated 12,000 structures.
The Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountain National Monument will be closed through Sunday because of “critical fire danger”, authorities announced Monday.
Los Angeles Fire Department XXVV Advisory Committee Chairman JJ Redick: “I have no problems with the LA fire department, so I’m afraid I can’t do that”
Sports are also helping out with other things. All 12 of LA’s professional teams have pledged to donate $8 million to wildfire victims and first responders.
“It’s our job to go give strength, and give hope and give joy,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick, who lost his home in the Palisades Fire. “Sports can provide fun and distraction, as well as a good escape, and hopefully sports tonight can give some joy as well.”
Last week, fires postponed NFL, NBA and NCAA games featuring LA teams. On Monday, the Clippers and Lakers returned to the court and resumed their seasons.
Beyoncé postponed a much-anticipated announcement originally scheduled for Tuesday, citing the devastation of the wildfires and donating $2.5 million to relief funds.
This year’s Academy Awards nominations, originally scheduled for last Friday, have since been delayed twice until Jan. 23. The fires affected Hollywood stars and halted film production, as reported by NPR.
Many of the schools and offices of the LA Unified School District were open on Monday with limited outdoor activities, but some schools are still closed.
It is asking customers in high-risk areas to be prepared by keeping their phones charged, a portable charge, flashlight, and extra batteries nearby.
Residents are warned to take precautions to prevent starting any fires. Those include not using lawnmowers on dry vegetation, ensuring trailer chains do not drag on the ground and never throwing cigarettes or matches out of a vehicle.
Additional steps may be taken by the county. The LA Department of Water and Power said Monday that local fire authorities may ask it to “de-energize power lines as a preventative measure” in certain areas while the red flag warning is in effect.
“PDS Red Flag Warnings are for the extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios,” the NWS tweeted. This setup is about as bad as it gets.
There’s a high risk of rapid fire growth if a fire starts because of a large swath of southwest California that’s under red flag warnings.
Forecasters warn of extreme fire danger across Los Angeles, where firefighters are still working to contain multiple fires that have engulfed parts of the county for the past week.
“The good news is that for the last two days we’ve had no increase in acreage at the Eaton Fire and it remains estimated at 14,117 acres with 35% containment,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said of one of the largest fires.
LAist: The Los Angeles Fire Department’s First Detection of Hurricanes Brought to the Attention of Southern Fire Chief Kirsten Crowley
According to LAist, the strong winds that were initially called for were lighter than expected.
The destruction was massive. “It is beyond belief until you see it,” Bass said. She said that it was time to begin to think about how we rebuild.
Since the fires broke out last week, responders from across the U.S., Canada and Mexico have come to the aid of Southern California. Yesterday I had the chance to meet with international partners from Mexico and express my gratitude for their help. The outpouring of support from both near and far, I tell you, is absolutely remarkable,” LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said.
A new fire broke out in Southern California on Monday night, adding to the string of fires there in the past week that left over 20 people dead. The Hurst Fire north of LOS ANGELES was 97% contained, Cal Fire said. The National Weather Service forecasted high winds up to 70 kilometres per hour in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Wednesday.