Deadly Winds Return: Los Angeles, Surrounding Counties Brace for Renewed Fire Threat

With the Santa Ana winds expected to whip back up to 65 miles an hour on Tuesday, the Los Angeles region is preparing for the worst, beefing up firefighter presence to extinguish flare-ups or new fires as they emerge.City and county officials have faced sharp criticism over the initial response when the fire first broke out a week ago, destroying thousands of homes and leaving 24 dead. They say they are ready to deal with the flare-ups across the region.“We’re absolutely better prepared,” the fire chief of Los Angeles County, Anthony Marrone, said in a press conference Monday in response to one question.Preparations were made in advance of the latest round of strong wind gusts. Planes flew over the region, dousing homes and hillsides with pink fire-retardant chemicals, and fire crews posted in vulnerable areas with dry brush, according to the Associated Press. Dozens of water tanker trucks were also brought in to prevent hydrants from running dry again.With the winds picking back up, they aren’t expected to be as strong, but firefighting aircraft could be grounded if they hit 70 mph.“It’s going to be very difficult to contain that fire,” Mr. Marrone said.A “particularly dangerous situation” fire weather warning was enacted early Tuesday morning and is expected to last until noon on Wednesday. Wind gusts of up to 72 mph have already been reported by the National Weather Service in the San Gabriel Mountains, according to Los Angeles Times. The warnings have expanded outside of Los Angeles County to include San Diego, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties, as well as some of the mountainous regions of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.The winds, which are moving from the east, are anticipated to have more of a focus on Ventura County, which has already seen fires break out. Overnight flames erupted on the Santa Clara River riverbed near the border of Ventura and Oxnard.The Auto Fire, named due to its proximity near a cluster of car dealerships, was 0 percent contained and charred nearly 56 acres as officials worked to put out hotspots and stop forward progress, officials told Los Angeles Times.The fires have swept through 40,000 acres, destroyed more tha 12,000 structures across the Greater Los Angeles area, and killed at least 24 people.The largest of the blazes, the Palisades Fire, has scorched 23,000 acres and threatens the neighborhoods of Brentwood, Encino, and Westwood, as only 14 percent is contained. Evacuation orders remain in effect for more than 90,000 residents.On Monday, two lawsuits were filed against power utility Southern California Edison, alleging that they failed to power down equipment and clear brush near the area where the Eaton Fire ignited. Only one-third of the blaze was contained after burning 14,000 acres and destroying more than 7,000 structures.

Deadly Winds Return: Los Angeles, Surrounding Counties Brace for Renewed Fire Threat

Deadly Winds Return: Los Angeles, Surrounding Counties Brace for Renewed Fire Threat

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