The most serious red flag fire weather warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for swaths of Los Angeles and Ventura counties starting before dawn Tuesday, underlining the continuing threat in a region weary after nearly a week of firestorms.
The ominous “particularly dangerous situation” warning was first issued by the local National Weather Service office in October 2020, and then in December 2020 — and then not again until 2024.
Issuing this warning “is one of the loudest ways that we can shout,” said Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
“This is a continued extreme fire weather and wind scenario,” Schoenfeld said. Gusts could range from 45 mph to 70 mph, and the air will be quite dry, especially Tuesday, with relative humidity as low as 5%. There will be a higher risk of power outages, rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior, with fires able to travel swiftly as embers fly at high speeds.
“Do NOT do anything that could spark a fire,” the weather service said. The particularly dangerous situation warning was set to go into effect at 4 a.m. Tuesday and continue through noon Wednesday.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said that fire crews had made extensive preparations in advance of this latest extreme weather event.
“I want to reassure you that your LAFD, all of our regional partners, every single agency that has come from up and down this state and outside of the state — we are ready,” she said Sunday afternoon.
These preparations include reinforcing fire control lines around the Eaton and Palisades fires, clearing dry brush away from surviving structures, and staging resources in areas where new fires could ignite.
“We’ve pre-positioned additional engines, fire crews, helicopters, bulldozers and water tenders across all of Southern California,” said Nancy Ward, director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Crews are also preparing for a worst-case scenario where high winds prevent the use of firefighting aircraft by strategically dropping retardant around the fires’ perimeters.
Sunday’s sobering forecast came as the number of confirmed deaths from the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires jumped to 24. Eight of the fire victims died in the Palisades fire and 16 in the Eaton fire in Altadena, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Officials warn that the toll will probably keep rising. Search and recovery operations are underway in both the Eaton and Palisades fire zones using cadaver dogs and grid searches, said L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna.
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