Los Angeles fires: Warning of new winds threatening to fan the flames

The US Weather Service warned of hot, strong winds that could hit the city of Los Angeles on Tuesday, threatening to fan the fires that have already been raging for a week in the second largest city in the United States.
This warning comes as exhausted firefighters in Los Angeles hope that the hot and dry Santa Ana winds that have been ravaging the region, causing fires that have killed at least 24 people, will subside.

Wind speeds are expected to exceed 120 kilometers per hour, according to the US National Weather Service. The authority said: “The winds have already begun to intensify today and will continue to accelerate until midday.”

Los Angeles fires

The situation in parts of Los Angeles County and Ventura County was classified as “particularly dangerous,” a rare warning from the National Weather Service. A large swath of Southern California has also been placed on high alert.
The significant drop in humidity levels, which may lead to a “very rapid spread of the fire” in some areas, raises concerns for meteorologists.

The raging fires in Los Angeles turned entire residential complexes into mere burning rubble, displacing thousands, and killing at least 24 people, in a scene that outgoing US President Joe Biden described as “more like a war zone.”

The worst in California history

Authorities fear that the death toll will rise due to the fires, which are among the worst in California’s history.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that searching for victims is “a very difficult task, and it is unfortunate that we find bodies every day.”

Thousands of firefighters are working to put out the fires, supported by human and logistical reinforcements and dozens of water tankers.

Fire fighting

But fighting the fires is still a tough task and the damage is enormous: the fires have burned 9,700 hectares in the upscale neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, and more than 5,500 hectares in the city of Altadena, north of Los Angeles.
Fred Bush told AFP: “My house burned down, I know that. I’ve seen pictures: all that’s left of it is the chimney. But I need to see it with my own eyes to believe it.”

In Altadena, Zahra Mims tries to contain the anxiety of her four-year-old son, Eitan. She said, still wearing her slippers since escaping the fire, “I try to make him forget what is going on and tell him that everything is going well. Our house has had a small problem, but we will fix it. Everything will be fine.”
The fires destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 homes, buildings and vehicles, which may represent the largest cost ever, according to preliminary estimates.

Criticism of the authorities

Hundreds of thousands of children returned to school on Monday, but schools in the evacuated areas remain closed. The authorities were criticized for the extent of their preparedness and the way they responded in light of the lack of water supplies and the loss of pressure in the fire hydrants in the first moments.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday requested a “comprehensive independent review” of the city’s water distribution devices. As usual, President-elect Donald Trump did not hesitate to attack state officials, describing them as “incompetent.”
“I can’t wait for him to come here,” said the Democratic governor of California, who intends to launch a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild California.

Climate change

The wind that is blowing today is known as “Santa Ana” and is common in the fall and winter seasons in California. But it has intensified in an unprecedented way since 2011, according to meteorologists, and its speed reached 160 kilometers per hour last week.
Winds are a nightmare for firefighters because California has had two very rainy years, which led to the revival of vegetation that is currently withering due to the dry winter that the region is experiencing.
Scientists regularly point out that climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events.