The National Weather Service has issued its most serious fire weather alert for sections of Los Angeles and Ventura counties commencing early Tuesday, highlighting the ongoing danger in regions impacted by nearly a week of wildfires.
The alarming “particularly hazardous conditions” alert was initially communicated by the local National Weather Service in October 2020, followed by additional alerts in December 2020, with the next not occurring until 2024.
According to Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service, “This is one of the ways we announce the situation loudly.”
“This remains a critical fire weather and wind situation,” said Schoenfeld. Gusts could reach between 45 mph and 110 mph, and the atmosphere will be extremely arid, particularly on Tuesday, with relative humidity dropping as low as 5%. Fires may proliferate swiftly as embers travel at high velocities, elevating the risk of power failures, rapid fire escalation, and severe fire threats.
The Japan Meteorological Agency advises, “Please avoid any actions that could ignite a fire.” The alert for especially dangerous conditions commenced at 4 a.m. Tuesday and is anticipated to persist until noon Wednesday.
(National Weather Bureau)
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Christine Crowley mentioned that firefighters had undertaken significant preparations ahead of the extreme weather conditions.
“I want to reassure the LAFD, all community partners, and agencies from within the state and beyond, that we are prepared,” she stated on Sunday afternoon.
These preparations encompass reinforcing fire lines around the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, removing dry vegetation from protected structures, and strategically placing resources in areas where new fires are likely to ignite. Masu.
“We have strategically positioned additional engines, fire squads, helicopters, bulldozers, and water trucks throughout Southern California,” said Nancy Ward, Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Teams are also making arrangements for the worst-case scenario, where strong winds hinder the use of firefighting aircraft, by dropping retardant around the blazes systematically.
“We actually erected a bit of fencing so that if (the aircraft) cannot operate, our crews can access the area,” Los Angeles County Fire Battalion Chief Christian Ritz noted Sunday afternoon.
The dire forecast for Sunday coincides with the confirmed death count from the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires, which has risen to 24. Eight individuals who perished were linked to the Palisades Fire and 16 succumbed to the Eaton Fire in Altadena, as per a release from Los Angeles County. Medical examiner.
Authorities caution that the toll may continue to rise. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna stated that search and recovery operations are ongoing in both the Eaton and Palisades fire zones, employing cadaver dogs and grid searches.
This fire ranks among the deadliest in California’s recent history. The state’s most lethal wildfire is still the Camp Fire, which devastated the town of Paradise in Butte County in 2018, claiming at least 85 lives. The second-most deadly incident was the 1933 Griffith Park Fire, resulting in 29 fatalities. In 1991, the Oakland Berkeley Hills fire took the lives of 25 people. In 2017, the Tubbs Fire resulted in 22 deaths across Napa and Sonoma counties.
While the total of structures destroyed remains uncertain, the fires have already achieved the status of some of the most damaging in contemporary California history. The Palisades Fire annihilated over 5,300 structures, while the Eaton Fire consumed more than 5,000 structures, ranking as the third and fourth most expensive fires on record, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
These figures are surpassed only by the Tubbs Fire, which devastated over 5,600 structures in Wine Country in 2017, and the Camp Fire, which destroyed nearly 19,000 structures.
The Palisades Fire had burned 23,713 acres and was 13% contained as of Sunday evening, whereas the Eaton Fire encompassed 14,117 acres and was 27% contained, according to Cal Fire.
As officials seek to establish the cause of the Eaton Fire that affected Altadena and surrounding regions, investigators are honing in on power transmission towers in Eaton Canyon. Early photographs and videos captured by locals showed what seemed to be the initial sparks of the perilous Eaton Fire igniting at the base of an Edison transmission tower in Southern California, subsequently racing down a ravine towards residences.
Currently, Southern California Edison officials have indicated that they do not believe electrical infrastructure contributed to the fires.
Fire authorities are examining whether utility equipment from Southern California Edison might have been a factor in igniting the 800-acre Hearst Fire near Sylmar, according to company representatives. The fire, which ignited on Tuesday near Diamond Road in Sylmar, was 89% contained, and as of Sunday the evacuation order had been lifted, but suppression efforts were ongoing.
The company issued a report on Friday indicating that a conductor was found collapsed on a pylon in proximity to the fire, but clarified that “it is unclear if the observed damage occurred before or after the fire started.”
Schoenfeld indicated that he does not anticipate that this week’s fire weather will reach the severity of last week’s historic storms that triggered the Palisades and Eaton fires. The warning for dangerous conditions pertains to a relatively limited area, focusing on the northern San Fernando Valley, including Porter Ranch and San Fernando, as well as the western Santa Monica Mountains and Malibu region. A sizable portion of Ventura County is also affected, including the cities of Ventura, Simi Valley, and Fillmore, and the Grapevine section of Interstate 5.
“Nonetheless, this is a highly perilous scenario that can result in extreme fire behavior and life-threatening circumstances,” Schoenfeld remarked. “Fuel conditions will remain exceedingly dry, and there will be a prolonged timeframe of exceptionally low humidity across the area.”
Compounding the situation is the lack of precipitation in Southern California, with only 0.16 inches of rain recorded in downtown Los Angeles.since Oct. 1, which is negligible when compared to the average of 5.23 inches recorded so far in the water year.
Gusts ranging from 25 to 40 mph are forecasted along the shorelines and valleys, with stronger bursts of 30 to 50 mph anticipated. In elevated and rugged regions, sustained winds of 30 to 45 mph are anticipated, with peak gusts reaching as high as 50 to 70 mph.
Wind gusts could reach 15 mph in Downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach, but could hit 40 mph in Canoga Park and Lancaster, 43 mph in Oxnard, 47 mph in Santa Clarita, 53 mph in Fillmore, and Pyramid Lake. Gusts may go as high as 55 mph and could escalate to speeds of 109 mph in Acton.
Schoenfeld indicated that the threat from fallen trees and power cables will outweigh the typical red flags associated with fire weather advisories. Regions with particularly hazardous conditions are more likely to undergo public safety power outages.
The region encompassed by this advisory does not cover the remnants of the Palisades and Eaton fires, yet they remain in proximity. This also encompasses the Hearst fire zone in Sylmar.
This wind phenomenon will resemble the more conventional Santa Ana winds, with gusts originating from the east driving fires toward the west. Last week’s storm was intensified by “mountain wave winds,” which transpire when breezes swiftly descend mountain faces and gain strength upon hitting flat grounds. This event resulted in brief bursts of intense and perilous winds, including gusts of up to 160 mph reported near Altadena. The winds from this occurrence primarily came from the north.
Schoenfeld mentioned that last week’s storm was extraordinary as the winds were unusually extensive, impacting areas where the vigorous Santa Ana winds typically do not prevail. Ordinarily, when wind gusts of 160 mph are noted, they are isolated from the mountain. The foothills of Altadena and the San Gabriel Valley typically do not experience strong winds during regular Santa Ana wind occurrences, but they did recently. This is a primary reason why Altadena experienced considerable destruction from the Eaton Fire.
(National Weather Bureau)
This represents the fourth advisory highlighting particularly hazardous conditions since the onset of autumn. Major and destructive fires ignited following three prior notifications. In November, a wildfire spanning 19,904 acres in Ventura County annihilated over 240 structures. The 4,037-acre Franklin Fire rapidly escalated in Malibu, damaging 20 buildings in December. Additionally, last week’s Palisades and Eaton fires occurred.
Standard red flag alerts, signaling severe fire weather conditions, have already been in place across vast swaths of Southern California since Saturday and are anticipated to be further expanded on Monday. Red flag alert regions encompass a considerably larger area than those subjected to particularly dangerous conditions.
The red flag alert for Los Angeles and Ventura counties is set to expire Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Authorities also cautioned about perilous seas and strong winds off the coast of Los Angeles County. The impacted region stretches from Malibu to Santa Monica and includes Anacapa Island as well as the San Pedro Strait. Significant gusty conditions could emerge at Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island.
“A reprieve from extreme fire weather conditions is expected starting Thursday as winds subside and humidity rises, continuing into the weekend,” Schoenfeld stated.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Sunday that an additional 1,000 California National Guard troops would be deployed to fire-affected areas in Los Angeles. This recent deployment will elevate the total number of Guard personnel in the region to approximately 2,500 by Monday, according to the governor’s office.
Los Angeles officials declared on Sunday that they apprehended 29 additional individuals in fire zones overnight, including one robbery suspect alleged to have been dressed as a firefighter. Authorities indicated that 25 of the arrests occurred in the Eaton fire zone, while four took place in the Palisades fire zone.
Mexican firefighters and paramedics have arrived in Los Angeles to assist in extinguishing the blaze. Gov. Gavin Newsom reported that 72 firefighters arrived on Saturday, joining thousands of others combating the fires.
Times staff writers Rebecca Ellis, Grace Twohey, Jenny Jarvie, Laura J. Nelson, Kevin Rector, Ruben Vives, Julia Wick, and Richard Winton contributed to this report.