LAHera2024
Strong winds were predicted to bring another «potentially dangerous situation red flag warning» to Southern California on Monday afternoon, January 20, as firefighters continue to confine two of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles County history while preparing for the possibility of new wildfires.
During a morning briefing on the Eaton fire, National Weather Service meteorologist James White described the third official warning of this month as «unprecedented for this area.» On Tuesday, January 21, it was scheduled to begin at noon and run until 10 a.m.
White predicted that this windstorm would be between the first two; it would be stronger than the second round last week, which was below forecasters’ forecasts, but it would be less than the one that occurred on January 7, when the fire initially started.
Due to «better flights and sights» on the fire, officials have somewhat decreased the destroyed area from the fire, which is now 14,021, which is almost 100 acres fewer than what had been reported for the majority of last week, according to officials.
As firefighters continue to make steady progress, the Palisades fire along the coast was 59% contained as of Monday am, Jan. 20, up from 52% the previous evening, according to Cal Fire authorities.
«Remain vigilant because the threat has not yet been eliminated,» stated Kristin Crowley, chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
On January 7, during the first windstorm to hit the western San Gabriel Mountains with peak gusts of up to 100 mph, both fires started.
Over 10,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed by the Eaton fire. An evacuation order was removed by fire officials on Monday for a neighborhood in Topanga that is located south of Encina Road and generally east of Topanga Canyon Boulevard near Colima Drive. Residents will only be able to access the area starting at midday.
As authorities continue to reduce the risks and look for missing people, thousands of residents were still under evacuation orders, even if some were let to return home. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, the two fires have so far been responsible for at least 27 fatalities.
By the time all the damage is calculated, the fires are predicted to be the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.
