Upcoming Surge of Strong Winds Expected in Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES—Southern California is preparing for a hazardous wind event early this week, as firefighters continued to make strides on Sunday with the deadly Eaton and Palisades fires.

Due to damaging Santa Ana winds and extremely low humidity, forecasters took the unusual step of issuing another warning for a “particularly dangerous situation” on Sunday afternoon for a vast area within Los Angeles and Ventura counties. A similar wind event on January 7 and 8 was a factor in igniting the two major deadly fires currently affecting the region.

The new warning is set to be in effect from noon Monday until 10 a.m. Tuesday for areas including the Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley (which encompasses Calabasas and Agoura Hills), the Malibu coast, the western Santa Monica Mountains recreation area, the Interstate 5 corridor, San Gabriel Valley, and north of the 210 Freeway, including Altadena and Glendora.

Furthermore, Los Angeles County will face a red flag warning for extreme fire danger from 8 a.m. Monday until 2 p.m. Tuesday. Meteorologists predict a “moderate to strong” Santa Ana wind event, with isolated gusts reaching 80 to 100 mph anticipated in various wind-prone mountain areas, such as the San Gabriel, western Santa Monica, and Santa Susana Mountains, according to the National Weather Service.

Authorities are advising residents to revisit their evacuation plans and ensure that emergency kits are well stocked with necessary items in case evacuation becomes necessary.

The city of Los Angeles has announced that red-flag parking restrictions will commence at 8 a.m. Monday and will remain in effect until further notice.

Containment of the 14,000-acre Eaton Fire, located northeast of Los Angeles, has increased to 81 percent overnight, up from 73 percent, as firefighters, supported by water-dropping helicopters, worked to extinguish hot spots located in steep, inaccessible canyons near Winters Creek, Mt. Lowe, and Mt. Wilson prior to the onset of a new wind event in the region.

The 23,700-acre Palisades Fire, situated on the west side of Los Angeles, is now 52 percent contained, a slight increase from 49 percent reported overnight.

This weekend, evacuation orders were lifted for numerous areas affected by both fires; however, some residents continue to face outages of electricity or gas service due to safety shutoffs.

A nightly curfew remains in place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation zones, allowing only firefighters, law enforcement, and utility workers to enter these areas.

FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers have been established at UCLA and Pasadena City College to help homeowners with the application process for aid.

President-elect Donald Trump announced at a rally on Sunday that he plans to visit California on Friday to see the severe wildfires affecting Los Angeles County.

“I was actually going to go yesterday, but I thought it would be more appropriate to go as president. It seems a bit more fitting, I assume,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Saturday.

Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated on Monday.

The causes of the Eaton and Palisades fires are still under investigation. They ignited on January 7 while the area was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger due to an exceptional wind event that produced gusts of up to 80 mph.

Combined, these fires have resulted in the deaths of at least 27 individuals and the destruction of more than 14,300 structures. As of Sunday, over 8,300 firefighting personnel are actively involved in fighting these blazes.

Both the county and state have declared emergencies, and President Joe Biden has authorized a major disaster declaration for California. Once all damage assessments are complete, the fires are projected to be recorded as the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.