Written by Jorge Garcia and Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Red flag warnings warning of the danger of severe wildfires across the Los Angeles area expired late on Wednesday, but forecasters warned that dry and windy conditions would persist on Thursday and that the danger of fires remained.
The National Weather Service added that the respite in fire-ravaged Los Angeles will be short, with high chances that red flag warnings – when ideal fire conditions, high winds and low humidity prevail – will be renewed again on Sunday.
Authorities said that about 6.5 million people are still under the threat of dangerous fires, after the fires devoured an area approximately the size of Washington, D.C., killing at least 25 people so far.
Firefighters on Wednesday battled persistently strong, dry winds that fanned two massive wildfires that terrorized Los Angeles for eight days, testing the resolve of a city upended by the worst disaster in its history.
Officials urged residents to be cautious and prepare to evacuate at any moment, as peak wind gusts are expected to continue until Thursday afternoon.
“We want to reiterate a particularly dangerous situation today. Get ready now and get ready to leave,” County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Expected winds of up to 70 mph (112 km/h) did not materialize on Wednesday. However, firefighters reported winds of 30 to 40 mph (48 to 64 kph) combined with low humidity in an area that has failed to receive any significant rain in nine months, meaning fire threats persist.
The fires damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 homes and other buildings, and forced up to 200,000 people from their homes. County Mayor Robert Luna said about 82,400 people had been ordered to evacuate, and another 90,400 faced evacuation warnings as of Wednesday.
Entire neighborhoods have been flattened, leaving ash and smoldering rubble. Many homes only have an existing chimney stack.
About 8,500 firefighters from the western United States, Canada and Mexico were able to control the growth of the fires for three days.
The Palisades Fire on the western edge of the city has remained steady at 23,713 acres (96 square kilometers) burned, and containment has been raised to 19% — a measure of how well the perimeter is controlled. the Eaton (NYSE:) The fire in the foothills east of the city has reached 14,117 acres (57 km²) with containment at 45%.
A fleet of air tankers and helicopters dropped water and fire retardant over the rugged hills while ground crews worked with hand tools and hoses to contain the fires.
Aerial fire trucks – or fire bombers – operate without precision equipment or autopilot, just the pilot's vision through the windshield and his experience.
“I call it the feeling of power,” said pilot Diego Calderone, of a contractor in New Mexico, referring to the mysterious energy in the Star Wars movies.
Hundreds of visiting firefighters and emergency workers camp outside the Rose Bowl Football Stadium, a base camp where teammates build camaraderie between 24-hour shifts followed by 24 hours off.
“You're all on the same mission,” said Martin Macias of the St. Helena Fire Department in Northern California. “We all got into this as a service, to make someone’s day better in the worst of times.”
A new fire broke out Wednesday in San Bernardino County east of Los Angeles, burning 30 acres (12 hectares), Cal Fire reported. Two other fires in Southern California were largely under control.
Some Angelenos are trying to return to a semblance of normalcy.
Students and teachers displaced by wildfires from Palisades Charter Elementary found a new home Wednesday at nearby Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet School, where they were welcomed with open arms.
“For the kids who lost their homes and lost their school, it's very devastating. The way I can help and the way I can give back is to make sure these kids have a place to go. And even though we've lost… Palisades Elementary: “We build our physical community, and we still have our community.”
Fire preparations were questioned
As the fires rage, critics question whether the city was properly prepared for fire danger in the face of National Weather Service warnings about dangerous weather, even though firefighters were on alert and were able to deploy assets in advance.
Fire Chief Christine Crowley fielded inquiries Wednesday about a Los Angeles Times report that fire officials chose not to order 1,000 firefighters to remain on duty for a second shift last Tuesday as fires began to spiral out of control.
The Times quoted critics who said the outgoing shift should have been kept on duty and that up to 25 additional fire engines should have been moved to the foothills.
Crowley defended her department's preparations, saying it was impossible to know exactly where fires might break out, and that some firefighters needed to stay put to take normal emergency calls anywhere in the city.
“We did everything we could to advance where we could,” Crowley said.
Vice President Richard Fields, who was in charge of staffing and equipment decisions before the fire, was quoted by the Times as saying that the scrutiny was welcome but that it was too easy for critics to second guess the decisions after the fact.
