Southern California is bracing itself for more high winds this week after gusts helped fuel dangerous wildfires that destroyed thousands of structures and killed at least 24 people last week.
Wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour could hit parts of Los Angeles Monday night through Wednesday, forecasts showed.
Why It Matters
Calmer winds in recent days have helped firefighters get some of the multiple blazes under control after several days of battling the flames. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, and ongoing high winds could prolong their time away from home if fires continue to burn.
What To Know
Several counties near Los Angeles were under Red Flag warnings from the National Weather Service on Monday morning, including San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernadino, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties, meaning an increased risk of fire danger.
With a potential spike in wind speeds and continuing dry conditions, the NWS warned there could be "rapid fire growth" if another is started between Monday and Wednesday.
According to Windy.com, some areas most likely to see high winds were Santa Clarita, San Fernando, Thousand Oaks, Santa Paula, Camarillo, Oxnard and Simi Valley.
Maps showed wind speeds (above), gusts (top) and accumulation (below) in the Los Angeles area, with a steady flow from the northeast, pushing air into already-hit regions across the north and east of the city.
While some speeds were predicted to be 20-35 miles per hour, they could be much higher over the next two days, reaching closer to 70 mph in spots.
LA, California and federal government agencies have all been involved in trying to combat the fires, with the Pentagon announcing Monday that modified aircraft and helicopters had been sent to the region to help spread water and fire-retardant.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fires. Some arrests have been made, but officials have not announced specific charges. In Santa Monica, over 40 people were arrested in relation to breaking evacuation and curfew orders.
Government agencies have yet to release preliminary damage estimates, but AccuWeather, which analyzes weather impacts, projected the damage and economic losses to be between $250 billion and $275 billion.
What People Are Saying
National Weather Service Los Angeles, on X: "Extreme fire danger will continue thru Wed. PDS Red Flag Warnings are for the extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios. In other words, this setup is about as bad as it gets. Stay aware of your surroundings. Be prepared to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire."
California Governor Gavin Newsom, on X: "In anticipation of higher winds picking up this week, hundreds of firefighting assets are currently prepositioned across Southern California — in LA, Orange, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties."
CAL FIRE, on X: "While smoke has cleared in most of the areas impacted by the Eaton and Palisades Fires, evacuations and curfews remain in place. Officials are maintaining these precautions to prepare for potential fire activity, complete damage inspections, complete critical infrastructure repairs, and address hazards like fallen trees and downed utility lines. Crews are working around the clock to facilitate these necessary duties."
What's Next
Officials continue to give regular briefings on the status of the fires and ongoing risks. NWS said extreme fire risk would continue through Wednesday and that residents should be ready to evacuate if told to do so.
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