After a brief respite on Saturday, gusty north and northeast winds are expected to return to the Los Angeles area on Sunday. That could be the start of up to three wind events in Santa Ana next week, officials said.
Firefighters continue to battle multiple major wildfires across the region and much of Los Angeles County remains under a red flag warning through Friday evening.
The dangerous combination of low humidity, dry fuels and shifting winds has complicated efforts to control wildfires. Fanned by gusts of up to 40 mph overnight, the 20,000-acre Palisades Fire remained only 8% contained Friday, while the Eaton Fire that burned nearly 14,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena is only 3% contained.
Firefighters were hopeful that calm winds Saturday would help them establish fire lines and increase containment of the two massive fires, as well as several other smaller fires burning in the region, before they began to burn. burst again. At least 10 people have died in the fires and authorities say the death toll is likely to rise.
“It's more favorable for us and the crews to get into some of those areas with steep, rugged terrain that can be a little dangerous when there's strong wind and warmer, drier temperatures,” said Will Powers, an official with the California Department of Transportation. . Spokesperson for Forests and Fire Protection.
A firefighter who was injured in a fall while working the Eaton Fire on Thursday is hospitalized and in stable condition, authorities said Friday.
Kristan Lund, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, called the coming winds a “moderate to strong event,” which will likely peak Tuesday and prompt new red flag warnings. But he noted that the worst is expected to be centered in Ventura County.
That could give Los Angeles County firefighters some breathing room, but it could also create additional concerns farther west in an already resource-strapped region.
