LOS ANGELES: Powerful winds forecast for late Tuesday night threatened to whip up massive fires that are still burning around Los Angeles, possibly worsening a tragedy that has killed at least 25 people.
A week after blazes erupted and spread uncontained, forecasters predicted “particularly dangerous” Santa Ana winds would spike.
“Stay aware of your surroundings. Be ready to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire,” the National Weather Service said, warning of gusts up to 70 miles (110 kilometres) an hour between 3am (1100GMT) and 3pm (2300GMT) on Wednesday.
Part of Los Angeles County and much of neighbouring Ventura County were in a “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” according to the NWS, a designation that was in effect before last week’s deadly blazes.
“All the plants and vegetation is really dry and ready to burn so… fires can grow pretty fast,” meteorologist Ryan Kittell told AFP.
The Palisades and Eaton fires — both of which are still burning in places — could flare up, and new ignitions could quickly turn problematic, Kittell said.
Officials insisted they were poised for any renewed threats, particularly around the existing burn sites, after hydrants ran dry in the initial firefight.
