New wildfire warnings issued and more power is shut off as winds rise in Southern California
Millions of Southern Californians faced new wildfire warnings Tuesday, and tens of thousands saw their power shut off as strong winds blew across the parched landscape around Los Angeles where two massive blazes have been burning for a week.
Santa Ana winds that began gusting over the mountains before sunrise were forecast to continue until Wednesday morning with enough force to carry fire-sparking embers for miles and stoke new outbreaks in a region where at least 25 people have already been killed.
"Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here," LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told a news conference.
Much of Southern California was under elevated fire risk, with crews on high alert from the Mexican border to Central California, far north of Los Angeles.
Nearly 90,000 households lost electricity as utilities shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new blazes.
A state of alert
Weary and anxious residents were told to be ready to flee at a moment's notice. They remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the skies and on each other: Police announced roughly 50 arrests, for looting, flying drones in fire zones, violating curfew and other crimes.
Of those, three people were arrested on suspicion of arson after being seen setting small fires that were immediately extinguished, LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. One was using a barbecue lighter, another ignited brush and a third tried to light up a trash can, he said. All were far outside the disaster zones. Authorities have not determined a cause for any of the major fires.
Among nine people charged with looting was a group that stole an Emmy from an evacuated house, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
The biggest worry remained the threat from intense winds predicted to reach nearly hurricane force Tuesday in some areas. Now backed by firefighters from other states, Canada and Mexico, crews were deployed to attack flareups or new blazes. The firefighting force was much bigger than a week ago, when the first wave of fires began destroying thousands of homes in what could become the nation's costliest fire disaster.
Kaylin Johnson and her family planned to spend the night at their home, one of the few left standing in her neighborhood in Altadena, near Pasadena. They intended to keep watch to ward off looting and to hose down the house and her neighbors' properties to prevent flareups.
"Our lives have been put on hold indefinitely," Johnson said via text message, adding that they cannot freely come and go because of restrictions on entering the burn areas. "But I would rather be here and not leave than to not be allowed back at all."
Video above: Brothers fight to save neighborhood from Palisades Fire
An unusual and ominous warning
Tuesday's forecast included a rare warning: The winds, combined with severely dry conditions, have created a " Particularly Dangerous Situation," the National Weather service said, meaning that any new fire could explode in size.
Gusts were forecast to pick up strength in the evening and into Wednesday before decreasing, and red-flag warnings from Central California to the Mexican border were to remain through most of Wednesday, weather service meteorologist Ariel Cohen said.
Related video above: Red Cross responds to LA County wildfires. How to help
Packed and ready to go
Residents said they were ready to make a hasty escape.
Javier Vega, who said he feels like he has been "sleeping with one eye open," and his girlfriend have planned out how they can quickly pack up their two cats, eight fish and leopard gecko if they get orders to evacuate.
"Typically on any other night, hearing helicopters flying overhead from midnight to 4:00 in the morning, that would drive anyone crazy," Vega said. But figuring they were helping firefighters to keep the flames from threatening their neighborhood, he explained, "it was actually soothing for me to go to sleep."
Preparing for another outbreak
Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines deployed to particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials who were criticized over their initial response expressed confidence that the region is ready to face the new threat. The mayor said she was able to fly over the disaster areas, which she described as resembling the aftermath of a "dry hurricane."
Winds this time were not expected to reach the same fierce speeds seen last week but could ground firefighting aircraft, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said. He warned that if winds reach 70 mph (112 kph), "it's going to be very difficult to contain that fire."
He urged homeless people to avoid starting fires for warmth and to seek shelter.
Wildfires on the rise across LA
With almost no rain in more than eight months, the brush-filled region has had more than a dozen wildfires this year, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area.
Firefighters have been jumping on small blazes that pop up. One, in a dry riverbed near Oxnard Monday night, was quickly smothered. "We've got helicopters ready to go, to drop water on any new fires," said Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department.
The four largest fires around the nation's second-biggest city have scorched more than 63 square miles (163 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan. Of these, the Eaton Fire near Pasadena was roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze, in Pacific Palisades on the coast, was far less contained.
Searching for victims
The death toll is likely to rise, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. At least two dozen people were still missing, he said Tuesday. Some people reported as missing earlier have been found.
Just under 90,000 people in the county remained under evacuation orders, half the number from last week.
Hollywood on hold
Hollywood's awards season has been put on hiatus because of the crisis. The Oscar nominations have been delayed twice, and some organizations postponed their awards shows and announcements without rescheduling.
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