L.A. officials fear more fires as crews prepare for extreme winds

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A new blaze sparked up in Southern California and nearly 13 million people were under critical or extreme fire warnings, underlining the task still facing fire crews and emergency responders in the weeklong fight against rampant wildfires. Further evacuation orders were issued overnight in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, as a fire raged.

That fire, near the city of Oxnard, was 0% uncontained early Tuesday. The resurgence of powerful winds across the region slowed the containment of the historic wildfires that have so far left 24 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed. Wind gusts are expected to reach speeds in excess of 70 miles an hour later in the day, the National Weather Service said Tuesday, risking further spread and hindering the aerial drops of retardant and water that gave firefighters some hope over the weekend.

“We are not in the clear as of yet," Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said. “We must not let our guard down." The combination of strong winds, low humidity and dry brush and vegetation helps accelerate wildfires, hampering efforts to contain the destructive blazes and fueling the spread of new ones. A lull in those winds over the weekend allowed crews to gain a foothold in the fight, but the reprieve was short-lived and forecasters warned extreme, dangerous fire weather would persist for much of the week.