Eighth day of Los Angeles wildfires: What’s latest, what’s next as winds rage? | Environmental news

EXPLANATION

As authorities continue to battle the dangerous fires, we take a look at what’s in store this Tuesday.

As Los Angeles enters the eighth day of battle merciless forest firesa combination of dry conditions, low humidity and strong Santa Ana winds stirred up the inferno. In some areas, winds reached hurricane force, with speeds of up to 160 km/h.

The fires burned more than 16,425 hectares (40,588 acres), about the size of Washington, DC. The Palisades and Eaton fires caused most of the damage.

Here’s what we know:

What’s the latest?

Number of dead and missing:

• At least 24 people died in the fires. The Eaton fire killed 16 people making it one of the deadliest in California history, and the least eight people died in the Palisades fire.
• Another 23 people were reported missing in the areas of the two fires, and officials warned that the death toll was likely to rise.
• More than 15,000 personnel are helping to fight fires and rescue people across Southern California. Across the region, there are more than eight million people at critical fire risk.

Active fires:

Three large wildfires continue to burn in the Los Angeles area:

• Palisade firethe first fire, which broke out a week ago and is the largest, has burned 9,596 hectares (23,713 acres) and is 14 percent contained.
• The Eaton firethe second largest fire, which started on January 7, burned 5,712 hectares (14,117 hectares) and contained 33 percent.
• Hurst fire was burnt 323 hectares (799 hectares) and 97 percent is closed.
• Elsewhere, in Ventura County, the Auto wildfire started on January 13 and has burned 2.02 hectares (5 acres) and is not contained.

The earlier Kenneth, Archer, Sunset, Lidia, Woodley and Olivas fires were contained in Los Angeles.

#DEMOLITION: Firefighters struggle with haste #self fire in Ventura County. Watch live: https://t.co/FtsHTmmhM0 pic.twitter.com/dXYzvMctga

— KTLA (@KTLA) January 14, 2025

Damages and evacuations:

• More than 12,000 buildings were destroyed.
• Officials said about 105,000 people are under mandatory evacuation in Los Angeles County, while another 89,000 are under evacuation warnings.
• A curfew is in effect for the Palisades and Eaton fire zones from 18:00 (02:00 GMT) to 06:00 (14:00 GMT).

Response Efforts:

• Thousands of firefighters from California and nine other states are fighting the fires.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed an additional $2.5 billion in funding for firestorm response and recovery efforts.

What is expected on Tuesday?

Weather forecasters warn that historic Santa Ana winds, which last week caused the fire to spread “rapidly and explosively,” will continue to affect the weather until Wednesday night.

Red Flag Warning – a warning for extreme fire-related weather conditions – exists throughout LA County.

The National Weather Service said wind gusts could reach up to 55 mph (90 km/h) by 8 a.m. (1600 GMT). Around noon, wind gusts are expected to increase significantly, reaching speeds of up to 74 mph (120 km/h). Later in the day, around 16:00 (00:00), the forecast indicates that strong winds will persist and could sustain speeds of around 62 mph (100 km/h) through Tuesday.

Chart of the national forecast for Tuesday:

Critical to extremely critical fire weather conditions will continue for coastal Southern California, including the Palisades and Eaton fire areas, through Wednesday due to moderate to locally strong Santa Ana winds. Especially… pic.twitter.com/RgEJxNTEkj

— National Weather Service (@NWS) January 14, 2025

However, wind speeds are also expected to decrease after Wednesday night, leading to more moderate conditions. The region remains critically dry and no significant rainfall is expected until next month.

“When you have these strong winds, you don’t just have to worry about existing fires, but new fires that will start. Once the wind starts blowing, it’s not as if one line of fire is moving steadily downhill. It’s an ember flying miles above,” said Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds, reporting from Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power warned that it may cut power to customers in high-risk areas as a precaution to prevent further fires. Outages could last more than 48 hours, according to the department.

What are red flag warnings?

• According to the National Weather Service (NWS), these “warnings apply to extreme fire weather scenarios. In other words, this setup is as bad as it gets”.
• They also said that when warnings are issued, officials limit planned burns and stay alert for potential wildfires.
• Red flag warnings alert fire managers on federal lands to conditions that are highly unfavorable for prescribed burns, which can lead to particularly dangerous wildfire spread,” the NWS added.

Where are the fires?

Three fires are currently raging in the Los Angeles area:

• Palisades Fire: This fire is burning between Santa Monica and Malibu. His influence also reached the posh neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.
• Eaton Fire: This is burning north of Pasadena, in the northern part of LA.
• Hurst: This wildfire is present in the north, near San Fernando.

What’s next?

Once the wildfires are brought under control, authorities are expected to begin searching for survivors, work to identify victims and launch cleanup efforts, all while trying to restore order in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, evacuees whose homes remained intact face another threat – burglars taking advantage of empty neighborhoods. Authorities said nine people have been charged with robbery during the Palisades and Eaton fires.

The economic consequences will also be significant. According to Reuters, analysts are assessing the financial toll of the wildfires, with initial estimates from AccuWeather suggesting that total economic losses could climb to $150 billion.