According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, there are currently five major fires raging in the area, two of the largest of which are reportedly 0% contained:
- Palisades Fire: At least 15,832 acres and 0% contained.
- Eaton Fire: At least 10,600 acres and 0% contained.
- Hurst Fire: At least 855 acres and 10% contained.
- Lidia Fire: At least 348 acres and 40% contained.
- Sunset Fire: At least 60 acres and 0% contained.
The Washington Post reports that several blazes started on Tuesday in the Los Angeles area that were fanned by hurricane-force winds, reaching nearly 90 mph. In pictures and videos taken at the affected locations, a catastrophic view of what looks like a fiery hurricane can be seen, with embers being carried by powerful winds.
The Washington Post points out that the landscape in Southern California is “ultra-flammable,” as there was no rain after the dry and hot summer season.
“The fuels remain very available to burn as Southern California has yet to see the arrival of winter rains, leaving fuels parched after one of the warmest summers on record,” a climatologist at the University of California at Merced, John Abatzoglou, told The Post. “If the region would have had even close to normal rain this fall and winter, we would not be dealing with these fires.”
The expert added that the exceptionally strong Santa Ana winds have made the event a “recipe for disaster.”
#6
According to the National Weather Service, the phenomenon of the Santa Ana winds, which reportedly played a huge role in the devastating fires, occurs when “air from a region of high pressure over the dry, desert region of the southwestern U.S. flows westward towards low pressure located off the California coast.”
On their website, they explained that this creates dry winds, which flow east to west through the mountain passages in Southern California. “These winds are most common during the cooler months of the year, occurring from September through May. Santa Ana winds typically feel warm (or even hot) because as the cool desert air moves down the side of the mountain, it is compressed, which causes the temperature of the air to rise. These strong winds can cause major property damage. They also increase wildfire risk because of the dryness of the winds and the speed at which they can spread a flame across the landscape.”
According to the Washington Post, early on Wednesday, the 8th of January, the Eaton Fire was raging in the hills northeast of Pasadena. The Hurst Fire, which ignited in the Sylmar neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley late Tuesday, was spreading at a dangerous rate, too, and the Palisades Fire on the west side of the LA area was threatening the heavily populated areas of Santa Monica, Brentwood, and Malibu.
BBC reports that the devastating disaster has already claimed five lives. “The Los Angeles Sheriff's Office has confirmed that another three people have been confirmed killed by the wildfires ravaging the region,” BBC wrote in the live coverage of the ravaging fires. “Two other deaths reported by officials earlier today were from the Eaton fire, which broke out in the Altadena region last night.”
More than 137,000 people have reportedly been evacuated.
According to CNN updates on Thursday, the 9th of January, the winds are now gusting at a lower rate of roughly 30-50 mph. However, red flag warnings in the area remain in place, and people are encouraged to stay vigilant.
“Just because we’re not seeing the same strength of winds as we saw last night, I urge everyone to remain at a high state of vigilance, as we still have these fires growing and we still have the winds to create the rapid spread,” Ariel Cohen, the Meteorologist in Charge of the National Weather Service Los Angeles, told CNN, adding that it will take some time, likely through the end of the week, for winds to subside.
