LOS ANGELES (AP) – Millions of Southern Californians were on edge as a final round of dangerous fire weather was forecast for the region Wednesday, along with a rare warning of an “especially hazardous situation” for an area near where two massive fires have killed at least 25 and destroyed thousands of homes.
Firefighters got a reprieve Tuesday when winds were unexpectedly light and they were able to make progress fighting the two massive fires in the Los Angeles area and quickly put out several new blazes.
The Eaton fire burning just north of Los Angeles and the Palisades fire that destroyed much of the oceanfront L.A. neighborhood of Pacific Palisades erupted Jan. 7 under conditions similar to what is expected Wednesday. Strong winds last week drove flames with remarkable speed, carrying sparking embers sometimes miles away.
The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings — issued when temperatures are warm, humidity is low and strong winds are expected — from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. from the Central Coast 275 miles (443 kilometers) south to the Mexican border. The “particularly dangerous situation” applied to an area that includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
“Key message: We’re not out of the woods yet,” the weather service said in a post late Tuesday. “Winds performed worse today, but another improvement could happen tonight-tomorrow.”
More than 77,000 households were without power as utility companies shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new fires.
A state of readiness
Tired and anxious residents were told to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the sky and each other: Police announced roughly 50 arrests, for looting, flying drones in fire zones, curfew violations and other crimes.
Of those, three people were arrested on suspicion of arson after being seen setting small fires that were immediately extinguished, said LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell. One used a barbecue lighter, another ignited brush and a third tried to light a trash can, he said. All were well outside the disaster areas. Authorities have not determined the cause of any of the larger fires.
Among nine people charged with looting was a group that stole an Emmy award from an evacuated house, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
The biggest concern was still the threat of intense winds. Now backed by firefighters from other states, Canada and Mexico, crews were deployed to attack flare-ups or new fires. The firefighting force was much larger than a week ago, when the first wave of fires began to destroy thousands of homes in what could be the nation’s costliest fire disaster.
Kaylin Johnson and her family planned to spend the night at their home, one of the few left standing in Altadena, near Pasadena. They intended to keep a lookout to prevent looting and to flood the house and her neighbors’ properties to prevent flare-ups.
“Our lives have been put on hold indefinitely,” Johnson said via text message, adding that they cannot come and go freely because of restrictions on entering the burning areas. “But I’d rather be here and not go than not get to come back at all.”
Packed and ready to go
Residents said they were ready to make a hasty escape.
Javier Vega, who said he feels like he’s “sleeping with one eye open,” and his girlfriend have planned how they can quickly pack up their two cats, eight fish and leopard gecko if they’re ordered to evacuate.
“Usually any other night, hearing helicopters flying overhead from midnight to 4:00 in the morning, that would drive anybody crazy,” Vega said. But he believed they helped firefighters keep the flames from threatening their neighborhood, he explained, “it was actually soothing for me to fall asleep.”
Preparing for another outbreak
Airplanes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire trucks were deployed to particularly vulnerable locations with dry brush.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials who were criticized for their initial response expressed confidence that the region is ready to face the new threat. The mayor said she was able to fly over the disaster areas, which she described as similar to the aftermath of a “dry hurricane.”
Winds this time weren’t expected to reach the same gusty speeds as last week, but they could ground firefighting aircraft, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.
He urged the homeless to avoid fires for warmth and to seek shelter.
Wildfires are increasing across LA
With almost no rain for more than eight months, the brush-filled region has seen more than a dozen wildfires this year, mostly in the Los Angeles area.
Firefighters have jumped on small blazes that popped up and quickly smothered several in Los Angeles county, including a blaze Tuesday night in the Angeles National Forest.
The four largest fires around the nation’s second-largest city have burned more than 100 square miles, about three times the size of Manhattan. Of those, the Eaton fire near Pasadena was about a third contained, while the largest fire, in Pacific Palisades on the coast, was much less contained.
Searching for victims
The death toll is likely to rise, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. Nearly 30 people were still missing, he said on Tuesday. Some people previously reported as missing have been found.
Almost 90,000 people in the county remained under evacuation orders, half as many as last week.
Hollywood on ice
Hollywood’s awards season has been brought up due to the crisis. The Oscar nominations have been delayed twice, and some organizations postponed their awards shows and announcements without rescheduling.
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Watson reported from San Diego and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press reporters Christopher Weber and Lindsey Bahr in Los Angeles, Lisa Baumann and Hallie Golden in Seattle and Julie Walker in New York contributed.
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