Bleak images of L.A. wildfire damage emerge as California braces for more wind
Despite a weekend reprieve from the dangerously high winds that have fanned wildfires in Los Angeles and surrounding California areas over the past week, officials say the winds are set to return this week and will jeopardize efforts to extinguish two massive fires that have already levelled entire neighbourhoods and killed at least two dozen people.
Dry Santa Ana winds of up to 80 to 112 km/h are forecast to resume on Monday and persist through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning, the agency’s most serious fire warning.
Drag the button to see before and after Maxar satellite imagery of destruction in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.
Fortunately, fire crews were able to keep the fires at bay Sunday night into Monday, but officials say they are preparing for increased winds in the days ahead.
“We are not in the clear,” Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at a press conference Monday morning. “We must not let our guard down, as we have right now extreme fire behaviour.”
Officials said the state was pre-positioning firefighting crews in vulnerable areas, including around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the two largest blazes burning on either side of Los Angeles. More than 8,500 firefighting personnel are assigned to those two fires.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said firefighters were “absolutely better prepared” for extreme winds this week, after the fires grew rapidly last week following similar dire warnings from forecasters.
Officials say more personnel have been added to on-the-ground crews and more firefighting aircraft are taking flight this week if the winds don’t ground them first.
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