LOS ANGELES — Firefighters have been working to contain the flames that have devoured large swaths of the city, killed two dozen people and destroyed thousands of structures over the past week, but they warned Monday that the fierce Santa Ana winds that fed the flames are intensifying and could fuel a destructive sequel.
“We are not in the clear as of yet,” Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference. “We cannot let our guard down.”
The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings from the Ventura County coastline through the sprawling Los Angeles metro area as it has forecast wind gusts of up to 70 mph beginning early Tuesday and persisting into Wednesday.
“Red Flag Warnings are for the extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios. In other words, this setup is about as bad as it gets,” the NWS said on X.
Asked if they are better prepared than they were when the fires first broke out a week ago, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Moroni said, “We’re absolutely better prepared.”
Last week, Santa Ana wind gusts reached hurricane strength at times before calming somewhat over the weekend, giving local firefighters backed by reinforcements from out of state and even Mexico a chance to beat back the flames feeding off the tinder-dry conditions.
As of Monday morning, the Palisades Fire had burned nearly 24,000 acres and was at 14% containment, and the Eaton Fire had burned over 14,000 acres and was at 33% containment, California Gov. Gavin Newson said on X.
While evacuation orders are still in effect for 92,000 Los Angeles residents, and another 89,000 are in evacuation warning zones, those numbers are significantly lower than last week, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
But Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged residents to remain vigilant and to be prepared to leave their homes and neighborhoods at a moment’s notice as the Santa Ana winds kick back up.
“As the winds pick up, please heed the calls to evacuate,” she said.
Firefighters have made progress in the Palisades Fire — while it remains at 14% containment, they have been able to hold back its spread.
“We’ve also made significant progress in Topanga Oaks, Sylvia Park, Temescal Ridge to Mulholland — all of these areas have been under threat and we are continuing to hold,” L.A. County 3rd District Supervisor Lindsay P. Horvath said.
Much of the city is still blanketed by smoky air, and Horvath advised residents to wear N95 masks when venturing outside and to close windows and doors, and use air filters, in their homes.
“Especially children and older adults, especially those with serious health complications, are particularly at risk,” Horvath said.
The worst fires in Los Angeles’ history erupted last week, sparking a massive and sometimes chaotic exodus as residents fled from neighborhoods in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena that were largely reduced to ashes in a matter of hours.
