Wildfire Threat Persisting, Los Angeles Officials Warn 85,000 To Prepare for Evacuation

As Los Angeles prepares for the potential increase in wildfire damage as deadly winds pick back up, officials have told nearly 85,000 people to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.In a press conference on Tuesday morning, the Los Angeles County sheriff, Robert Luna, said that despite the progress to quell the fires, things could suddenly turn with the winds gaining strength again.“I don’t want people to start thinking everything’s OK now. Everything’s not OK yet,” he said. “We’ll get there together, but again, the wind’s blowing, and it’s going to continue to blow.”The new warning is on top of 90,000 still under evacuation orders. Sheriff Luna said that his deputies had to rescue scores of people who waited too long to evacuate when orders were issued last week.Preparations were made in advance of the latest round of strong wind gusts. Planes flew over the region, dousing homes and hillsides with pink-colored fire-retardant chemicals, and fire crews were 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.“Life-threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here,” chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Kristin Crowley, said at the press conference.Nearly 40 arrests have been made in recent days for numerous incidents, including illegal drone flying that could interfere with firefighting aircraft, curfew violations, and looting.The arrests include three individuals arrested since Sunday on suspicion of arson. One was arrested after being caught using a barbecue lighter to start a fire, while another was nabbed after lighting a trash can ablaze. The third person was caught burning brush.All three fires were minor and quickly extinguished.Officials also said on Tuesday morning that they are investigating about two dozen cases of missing persons, including 18 from areas affected by the Eaton Fire and another eight missing from the region affected by the Palisades Fire.

Wildfire Threat Persisting, Los Angeles Officials Warn 85,000 To Prepare for Evacuation

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