SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Powerful Santa Ana winds returned to the Los Angeles area on Tuesday, threatening to reverse some of the progress made in the battle against deadly wildfires that have destroyed entire neighborhoods and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.
Winds of 45 to 70 mph were forecast through the midweek, with peak wind gusts expected between Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, which issued critical red flag warnings across much of southwestern California.
With the combination of high winds, low humidity and relentless drought conditions, the weather service office in Los Angeles warned of a “particularly dangerous situation” for the northern Los Angeles County and Ventura County areas, adding, “this setup is about as bad as it gets.”
Scores of firefighters, including additional personnel from Canada, Mexico, and other nearby U.S. states, were combating the fires from the air and on the ground. Officials worried the high winds could further expand the Palisades and Eaton blazes as well as fuel the formation and growth of new wildfires.
At least 24 people have been killed in the fires, according to the Los Angeles medical examiner’s office. The wildfires have destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 homes, businesses, and other structures as officials ordered over 92,000 people to flee their homes.
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Developments:
∎ The Palisades Fire, which reduced the Pacific Palisades neighborhood to rubble, has consumed 23,713 acres and was 17% contained.
∎ The Eaton Fire, located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, has burned 14,117 acres and was 35% contained.
∎ The Hurst Fire, which sparked near the suburb of Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley, has burned 799 acres and was 97% contained.
∎ The Auto Fire, a blaze that began Monday evening in Ventura County, has torched 56 acres and was 0% contained. The county’s fire department said the blaze’s forward progress has been stopped.
Law enforcement searching for dozens of missing people amid fires
Los Angeles authorities continued search and rescue operations, going door-to-door in search of people missing a week after a series of blazes began torching large swaths of southwestern California.
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters on Tuesday that 24 people remain missing in areas scorched by the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. He said those missing are all adults, adding that six of them are believed to be in the Eaton area and six are believed to be in the Malibu area.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers were searching for eleven missing people as of Tuesday morning. So far, 21 people reported missing in the city have been found safe. The chief added that two people reported missing have most likely been “found deceased, but have yet to be positively identified.”
High winds threaten to further spread harmful smoke, ash
The resurgence of strong Santa Ana winds could further spread hazardous smoke and ash from the wildfires burning across the Los Angeles area.
Anish Mahajan, chief deputy director of Los Angeles Public Health, urged people at news conference Tuesday to protect themselves from the wind-blown ash by wearing respiratory masks – not bandanas or cloth masks, which are not made to filter hazardous particles.
“Ash is not just dirt, it is hazardous fine dust that can irritate or harm your respiratory system and other parts of your body where it lands,” he said. “If you see the ash, take precautions to reduce your exposure.”
Firefighting aircraft to make return to LA fires after drone crash
The firefighting aircraft that was damaged in a collision with an unauthorized drone last week will return to the sky on Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Fire chief said.
The crash took place Thursday while the aircraft was operating over the Palisades Fire near the Pacific Coast. The aircraft, known as “Quebec 1,” was struck by a civilian drone that was not assigned to fire operations, officials said.
Firefighting “super scooper” planes refill their tanks by skimming the surface of bays and lakes. They then dump the water over wildfires and repeat the process until they need to refuel.
The aircraft will return to the fire areas starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a news conference.
High wind speeds recorded across Los Angeles County area
Here are some of the highest wind speeds recorded across southwestern California Tuesday morning, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service.
San Gabriel Mountains – 49 mph
Fremont Canyon – 46 mph
Chino Hills – 37 mph
Santa Monica Mountains – 36 mph
Cheeseboro Canyon – 30 mph
Firefighters rush to beef up containment lines as strong winds return
Cal Fire said in an update Tuesday morning that authorities will “conduct tactical patrols and mop-up operations, addressing smoke and heat sources to minimize the chance of fire escaping the perimeter.”
Additionally, urban search and rescue efforts as well as damage assessments were ongoing throughout areas torched by the blazes. “These operations are unprecedented in size and scale and are critical for mitigating existing hazards, confirming missing persons reports, and obtaining accurate numbers of structures loss,” Cal Fire said.
When is there rain in the forecast for Southern California?
The Los Angeles area may see light showers next week, but the rainfall is not expected to be substantial, said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Heather Zehr.
In fact, all of Southern California is expected to be drier than average over the next two weeks, according to a Monday forecast from the Climate Prediction Center.
While heavy rain would certainly help firefighters battling the blazes across Southern California, there are concerns that torrential downpours might trigger mudslides in areas charred by the fires, city officials said.
– Doyle Rice
Read more:Wildfires have ravaged the LA area for a week. Is there an end in sight?
FBI opens probe into drone crash that grounded firefighting aircraft
The FBI announced on Monday that it is seeking information about the collision of an unauthorized drone with a firefighting aircraft that flew over the Palisades Fire last week.
The crash took place at around 1 p.m. local time Thursday while the aircraft was operating over the Palisades Fire near the Pacific Coast, officials said. The aircraft, known as “Quebec 1,” was struck by a civilian drone that was not assigned to fire operations.
The incident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI, which opened a tipline seeking the public’s help to identify the drone operator.
No injuries were reported in the incident, but the firefighting aircraft was grounded and remained out of service for five days. On Monday, officials said the aircraft is expected to return to action Tuesday morning, pending approval by the FAA.
– Thao Nguyen and Brian Day
More:FBI searching for drone operator that grounded aircraft battling Pacific Palisades fire
Nine people arrested for looting; stolen Emmy Award recovered
Officials say nine people have been charged with looting while police recovered an Emmy Award and at least $200,000 in other items stolen from homes abandoned during wildfire evacuations in the Los Angeles area.
Authorities on Monday announced charges against nine people accused of burglaries and looting in the Eaton and Palisades fire areas. They also said they are pursuing charges against people accused of impersonating firefighters to improperly access evacuation zones.
Authorities have also arrested dozens of people accused of violating closure orders, and security has tightened across the evacuation areas. Officials did not release additional details Monday regarding who the Emmy belonged to. However, they said several of the people arrested had criminal records that could land them lengthy prison sentences if convicted.
Read more:Cops nab looters hitting wildfire-ravaged areas around LA
Lawsuits allege Southern California Edison equipment sparked Eaton Fire
At least three lawsuits filed Monday against Southern California Edison claim the utility’s electrical equipment started the Eaton Fire, which has consumed over 14,000 acres of land and destroyed some 2,000 structures since last week.
The lawsuits were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of those whose properties were destroyed by the blaze. The lawsuits say the utility company failed to shut down its power equipment despite strong warnings, resulting in the Eaton wildfire.
The lawsuits also cite multiple eyewitnesses and images that it claims appear to show a fire at the base of a transmission tower owned by the utility. Fire officials have not yet publicly identified a cause, but have said it’s under investigation.
A spokesperson for Southern California Edison said he could not comment directly on the lawsuits because they had not been served yet, but he said the company was aware of the filings and vigorously defended the company’s safety practices.
– Michael Loria
More:Woman whose home was torched sues utility company for starting California wildfire inferno
Auto Fire breaks out in Ventura, firefighters halt its progress
Fire crews responded to a brush fire that broke out Monday night in Ventura, California, a coastal city about 68 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
The blaze, dubbed the Auto Fire, was first reported in the Santa Clara River bottom as Santa Ana winds whipped through the region.
By 11:45 p.m. local time, forward progress on the Auto Fire had been stopped, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. As of early Tuesday, the fire burned 56 acres with 0% containment.
Is the Brier Fire in San Bernardino still active?
The Brief Fire broke out in San Bernardino County on Saturday afternoon before it quickly spread to several acres and firefighters managed to control its growth.
By the time crews established a containment line completely around the blaze, it had torched nine acres, according to San Bernardino County Fire Department. The fire has not been a threat to the area east of Los Angeles since Saturday night.
How many people have died in the Los Angeles wildfires?
At least 24 people have died in the fires, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. And about another two dozen are missing, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday.
Authorities are using cadaver dogs to conduct “grid searches” of victims, according to Luna. In parts of Altadena, California, where the Eaton Fire first started, Luna said deputies found human remains as they continue search, rescue, and recovery operations.
“It is a very grim task… Every day we’re doing this, we’re running across the remains of individual community members,” Luna said. “That is not easy work … And I believe that work is not only going to continue, but I believe we’ll continue to find remains.”
California devastation:How many homes have burned in the Los Angeles wildfires so far?
Pacific Palisades resident: Homes couldn’t escape firestorm
Authorities said it may be Thursday until evacuees are allowed to return home, as red flag wind warnings are expected to last through Wednesday. Firefighters are continuing their assessments of burned areas, and on Monday evening reported that at least 5,000 structures had been destroyed in the Palisades Fire. A curfew remains in effect for much of the area.
Beverley Auerbach and her husband, who lost the home they’ve lived in since 1980, fled to safety last Monday, thinking they would be gone just a few days. But the wind-driven firestorm burned through their Pacific Palisades neighborhood known as the Alphabets, scouring homes down to their concrete steps and brick chimneys.
Auerbach said they still haven’t seen what the area looks like in person, though a neighbor accessed the evacuation area and recorded some video for the neighborhood WhatsApp group chat.
“We all hoped that our home would be the one that the capricious winds would bypass,” Auerbach, a travel marketing consultant, said via text. “In our case, we had a clay tile roof and stucco walls with little wood trim, unlike our neighbors’ homes with a lot of wood and composite shingles.” Auerbach added: “The truth is that in such a conflagration, with homes close together, none could escape, even those with wildfire protection. Still, we hope against hope until someone shows you a photo or video that settles the matter.”
