LA fire officials warn of a new round of wildfire danger with strong winds forecast

AP

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Firefighters are bracing for more Santa Ana winds as they continue to battle multiple fires in Los Angeles that have left several people dead and burned thousands of structures.

The gusty winds that helped propel the fires are forecast to continue through Tuesday and likely Wednesday across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, with low humidity creating critical fire conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters predicted peak winds to be "strong enough to potentially cause explosive fire growth." Red flag warnings have been issued through Wednesday.

Wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph are expected with 50 to 75 mph wind gusts in wind-prone mountains and foothills through at least Tuesday, according to the NWS.

A red flag warning means there are conditions for an increased risk of fire: a combination of very low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds.

At least 153,000 people have been forced to evacuate and another 166,000 people were under evacuation warnings over the weekend, according to the LA County Sheriff's Department.

LA City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley on Sunday told residents to stand ready to evacuate and to stay informed with official updates. Crowley called the still-raging fires "one of the most challenging natural events in the history of this city," and warned, "it's not over."

LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said people living in areas that have been evacuated won't be able to return until Thursday — at the earliest — due to the next round of fire danger.

What to know

AP

• Authorities are investigating at least 24 deaths from the fires — 16 from the Eaton Fire and eight from the Palisades Fire. Search and rescue efforts for missing persons related to the fires began Saturday.
• More than 40,000 acres have been burned in the Eaton, Palisades, Kenneth and Hurst fires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Homes and businesses are among the more than 12,000 structures that have been destroyed — as are many houses of worship. Officials expect more in the coming days.
• According to the latest figures from Cal Fire, the Eaton Fire has spread to more than 14,000 acres and is 27% contained. The Palisades Fire is at nearly 24,000 acres and 11% contained. The Kenneth Fire was fully contained after burning more than 1,000 acres, while the nearly 800 acre Hurst Fire was 89% contained.
• The Los Angeles Unified School District said it planned to reopen "most schools" on Monday after closing all buildings late Wednesday. Some schools, those in the mandatory evacuation areas, will remain closed, the district said.
  

• Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell told Weekend Edition that over 24,000 people have already applied for disaster assistance. That number is expected to rise, Criswell said. Criswell also corrected a statement President-elect Donald Trump made last week on his Truth Social platform that FEMA had run out of money. "That is absolutely false," Criswell said.
• During an interview on NBC's Meet The Press, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said there are 14,000 people assisting with the fires, including the National Guard. Newsom believes the fires will be the worst natural disaster in the history of the U.S. "in terms of just the costs associated with it, in terms of the scale and scope." He also pushed back on Trump's comments and said "mis- and disinformation I don't think advantages or aids any of us."

• Several drinking water advisories have been issued. A "do not drink" order was issued for most of northern Pasadena after the Eaton Fire damaged pump stations and reservoirs. A "do not drink" notice was also issued for areas in the Pacific Palisades and communities north of San Vicente Blvd under evacuation orders. The LA Department of Water and Power said it issued the notice because of "the potential of fire-related contaminants that may have entered the water system." Parts of northern Pasadena have also been warned to not use tap water for drinking, cooking, hand washing or bathing until they've gotten a release from the water district, the city said on Saturday.
  
• A wildfire smoke advisory is in place until 10 pm PT Sunday as air quality levels have become "unhealthy" across parts of Los Angeles County. The LA County public health department is advising those in areas impacted by smoke to limit time outside, use an air purifier in homes and wear an N95 or P100 respirator.

The California Newsroom is following the extreme weather from across the region. Click through to LAist's coverage for the latest.

NPR's Alana Wise, Juliana Kim and Ayesha Rascoe contributed to this report.