Fire authorities in southern California positioned crews and equipment ready to respond Tuesday to new wildfires as forecasters warned of dangerous fire conditions featuring dry air and strong winds.
The National Weather Service said the particular window of concern was through late morning Tuesday, with the possibility of wind gusts reaching 160 kilometers per hour in areas to the north and northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
“Everyone needs to be on high alert,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) spokesperson Brice Bennett said in a statement Monday that his agency — with help from federal, local and tribal firefighting agencies — have more than 2,500 people and has prepositioned equipment for quick deployment to combat any new outbreaks.
At least 27 people have died in a series of wildfires across the Los Angeles area during the past two weeks as Santa Ana winds mixed with dry conditions on the ground to quickly spread blazes.
The two largest fires are still burning, including the Palisades Fire near the coast on the western side of Los Angeles and the Eaton Fire in the foothills to the north of the city.
The Palisades Fire was 61% contained and has burned about 96 square kilometers, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton Fire was 87% contained after burning 57 square kilometers.
Together, the fires have destroyed 14,000 structures since Jan. 7.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday designed to protect Southern California residents from landslides and flooding. The order suspends some rules and regulations and speeds up the removal of debris that, if not removed promptly, could result in landslides, mudslides and flash floods.
“This order helps keep our emergency response focused on protecting communities, not permits and paperwork,” Newsom said.
Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press
