The National Weather Service (NWS) is warning that conditions in Los Angeles are expected to worsen significantly over the next hours, and could hamper any progress made in combating the wildfires blazing through the area.
Concretely, the NWS warned of a "particularly dangerous situation" beginning on Monday. It includes sustained winds of 40 mph and gusts in the mountains going up as high as 70 mph. The situation is expected to continue through Wednesday, with Tuesday being the worst day, according to fire analyst Dennis Burns.
It is the first time in over four years that such a warning is issued by the NWS, according to the LA Times. It is "one of the loudest way that we can shout," said NWS meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld. "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," she added.
The red flag warning issued Saturday evening has been extended, as well as a fire watch warning. The death toll resulting from the fires has risen to at least 24, with eight people dying in the Palisades fire and 16 in the Eaton fire in Altadena.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said crews are making preparations ahead of the 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. Preparations include reinforcing control lines, clearing dry brush from surviving structures and deploying resources where new fires could erupt.
There is a chance that aircraft won't be able to contribute to firefighting efforts due to high winds during the extreme weather event. L.A. County Fire Battalion Chief Christian Litz explained that, in that case, firefighters have built a "bit of a barrier in time for crews to get in there."
The fires have already consumed an area larger than San Francisco. Crews from nine states other than California have arrived to help battling the flames. The response already includes some 1,400 fire engines, 84 aircraft and 14,000 personnel, including from Mexico.
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