LA braces for more wind and more fire danger

LOS ANGELES (CN) — The majority of Angelenos awoke Monday morning to an oddly gorgeous day — a bit cold for sure, but a bright blue sky and crisp, clean air, with little smog or smoke. You could easily forget that what will likely go down as the two most costly fires in U.S. history are still raging.

This could well be the eye of the storm. The National Weather Service has issued a warning of a “particularly dangerous situation,” wording used by the agency to mean extreme and life-threatening severe weather. The not-often used warning was recently issued last week, before the outbreak of the Palisades and Eaton fires which so far have claimed at least 25 lives and cost at least $135 billion in damage, much of that from thousands of multimillion-dollar homes in some of LA’s most prized neighborhoods.

The new warning covers parts of Ventura County, including Simi Valley and Ventura; the northern part of LA County, including San Fernando and Porter Ranch; and the western part of LA County, including much of Malibu, not far from where the Palisades Fire is still burning. Officials warn of wind gusts of up to 45 to 70 miles per hour, and well as especially low humidity — the same conditions that last week led to so much devastation. The particularly dangerous situation warnings begin Tuesday at 4 a.m. and continue until noon on Wednesday.

“Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines,” the National Weather Service said in its urgent warning. “If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for very rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior, including long range spotting, which would threaten life and property.” The service also offered one note of positivity: “This wind event is not expected to be as strong and destructive as last week’s windstorm.”

Winds this week are expected to be more conventional Santa Ana winds, which are well-known in LA. Last week’s wind event was far more rare — a “mountain wave wind,” which sent gusts of up to 100 miles per hour through the area near Altadena.

Public schools in LA, which were closed Wednesday through Friday, reopened on Monday. Schools in Malibu, Pasadena and La Cañada remain closed.

The largest fire, the Palisades Fire, has burned over 23,700 acres, and is 14% contained — a term that refers to the percentage of the perimeter of the fire that officials are confident has stopped spreading. The fire has destroyed more than 5,000 structures, including most of the Pacific Palisades, a large, upscale residential neighborhood, as well as large swaths of Malibu. The fire has now edged into Brentwood, and may threaten homes in Mandeville Canyon once the wind picks up again.

The Eaton Fire, on the opposite end of Los Angeles, has consumed more than 14,000 acres, destroyed or damaged at least 7,000 structures and has reduced much of Altadena, an unincorporated area north of Pasadena, to ash and rubble. Officials say the Eaton Fire is 33% contained.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the two fires. The Palisades Fire is believed to have started near Skull Rock on the Temescal Ridge trail, a popular hiking spot. According to the Los Angeles Times, investigators speaking on background believe the fire was caused by humans. As for the Eaton Fire, officials have zeroed in on a Southern California Edison electrical transmission tower as the possible origin. In the case of both fires, no determination has been made as to their cause.

On Monday morning, victims of the Eaton Fire filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison, saying in their complaint that the utility company “negligently, recklessly, and willfully failed to prudently and safely inspect, maintain, and operate the electrical equipment in its utility infrastructure (including failing to de-energize its powerlines in times of high fire risk).”

“This wildfire was not the result of an ‘act of God or other force majeure ,” the plaintiffs go on to say in their complaint. “This wildfire was started by sparks from high-voltage transmission lines, distribution lines, appurtenances, and other electrical equipment within Edison’s utility infrastructure that ignited surrounding vegetation. Despite knowing of an extreme fire risk, defendants deliberately prioritized profits over safety.”

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