Los Angeles As fire-fueling winds swept across Southern California on Tuesday, people, exhausted and unsettled by a week of major infernos raging near Los Angeles and now facing severe new warnings, gathered up their dogs and family photos and prepared to evacuate at any minute.
The severe gusts were expected to peak just after sunrise on Tuesday, with some regions seeing them approach hurricane force. A week after the initial still-burning fires started, destroying thousands of houses and killing at least 24 people, a bolstered firefighting force was organized to combat flareups or new blazes.
Tabitha Trosen was always on edge, afraid that her neighborhood might be the next target, and she packed the important things in her life.
Trosen stated, “We have our cats’ carriers prepared by the door with their small stuffed animals and other items, so they are ready to go.” It’s like how do I look after myself, what will help me stay grounded as a person, and what will remind me of my history, my life, and my family?
In the mountains surrounding Los Angeles, dry winds gusted as high as 50 miles per hour (80 kph) early Tuesday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Hall. According to him, strong winds that are expected to last until noon on Wednesday might cause fire tornadoes or carry embers that start fires miles ahead of the fire lines.
On Tuesday, over 20 million people from San Diego to the far north of Los Angeles were impacted by the increased fire risk in much of Southern California.
Inland regions north of Los Angeles, such as the heavily populated Simi Valley, Northridge, and Thousand Oaks, are squarely in the crosshairs, according to forecasters.
The winds and extremely dry conditions have produced a particularly dangerous situation where any new fire could erupt in size, according to the weather service’s uncommon warning.
On Monday, personnel and fire engines deployed to areas with dry brush that were most vulnerable, while planes sprayed bright pink fire-retardant chemicals on buildings and hillsides. When the two biggest fires broke out last week, hydrants were empty, so dozens of more water trucks arrived to restock supplies.
With scores of additional firefighters brought in from across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials who have come under fire for their initial response to fires that started last week expressed confidence Monday that the region was prepared to face the new threat.
Our readiness is far superior. When asked what would be different from a week ago, when hurricane-force winds spread numerous fires throughout the dry, brush-filled area that hasn’t seen much rain in over eight months, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.
Marrone warned that it would be extremely difficult to suppress the fire if gusts reached 70 mph, even if they were not predicted to reach hurricane force like they did last week.
Since the start of the year, Southern California has seen more than a dozen wildfires, primarily in the greater Los Angeles region.
The most recent began Monday evening in a dry riverbed in Oxnard, a farming community northwest of Los Angeles. Before firefighters halted its advance, it ripped through dense vegetation, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
Residents in high-risk regions were instructed by fire officials to evacuate their homes immediately if they feel threatened rather than waiting for official evacuation orders.
After the fires broke out last week, Tim Kang of La Crescenta did just that. Kang and his brothers left their area because they were unwell from the smoke and worried about the spread of fires nearby.
Kang, who is living in Pasadena with his fiancée, said, “Everything just felt like, Oh man, the world is ending.”
Over 63 square miles—roughly three times the area of Manhattan—have been burned by the four flames surrounding the country’s second-biggest city.
The greatest fire in the Pacific Palisades on the coast was much less contained than the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, which was about one-third contained.
Looking for victims
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna stated on Monday that the death toll is probably going to increase. He claimed that at least two dozen were missing.
Luna called for patience, acknowledging that people are anxious to get back to their homes.
“We have people literally searching for your neighbors’ remains,” he said.
During a neighborhood meeting on Monday night on the Palisades Fire, a representative of the Los Angeles Police Department stated that numerous individuals who were reported missing had been located.
Less than 100,000 people in Los Angeles County were still under evacuation orders, which is half as many as there were the previous week.
In catastrophe areas, some people lend a hand, while others profit.
Disney, Beyoncé, and other entertainment companies have promised to donate millions of dollars to aid individuals who have lost their homes or been relocated. Large donations of clothing and other stuff have been placed on street corners throughout the city by both regular people and other celebrities.
For looting, dozens of people have been taken into custody. According to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, officials are now beginning to notice price gouging and scams, particularly with hotels, short-term rentals, and medical supplies.
Investigating and tallying the damage
More than 12,000 homes, vehicles, and other structures have been destroyed by the fires that started Tuesday north of downtown Los Angeles.
No official cause for any of the fires has been established by authorities. Authorities are looking into whether Southern California Edison’s equipment caused a smaller fire, the company has admitted.
According to a lawsuit submitted on Monday, the Eaton Fire, which was significantly larger, was started by the utility’s equipment. A request for comment from Edison was not answered, and the company stated last week that it had not heard any indications that the fire was started by its equipment.
According to AccuWeather’s first projections, the fires may be the most expensive in the country’s history, costing over $250 billion, plus what will be added in the coming days. Real estate data tracker CoreLogic estimates that the cost of rebuilding buildings located inside active fire zones could reach $15 billion.
The Associated Press
