SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
By Christopher Weber, Julie Watson and John Seewer
Los Angeles: Weary and anxious from a week of massive infernos burning around Los Angeles, Southern California residents face dire new fire warnings as fire-fuelling winds blast across the scarred landscape.
Hot, dry winds are pummelling Los Angeles and surrounding areas, raising wildfire risks through at least Thursday (AEDT) as the region reels from blazes that have killed at least 24 people and burnt neighbourhoods to the ground since the fires started a week ago.
The dangerous winds, predicted to reach near hurricane-force in some areas, are likely to peak on Wednesday (AEDT). A beefed-up firefighting force is in place to attack flare-ups or new blazes.
Firefighters from the California Conservation Corps work to contain the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California.Credit: Bloomberg
About 88,000 residents are under evacuation orders, and another 84,800 are under warnings, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Residents gathered their pets and family photos in case they had to make a hasty escape. Tabitha Trosen said she was “teetering” on the edge, constantly fearing her neighbourhood could be next.
“Our cats are ready to go. We have their carriers by the door prepped with their little stuffed animals and things like that,” Trosen said. “It’s like, how do I take care of myself, and what are the things that will ground me as a human and remind me of my background and my life and my family.”
The disaster has brought out the best and worst in people. Nine people have been charged with looting, including a group that stole an Emmy Award from a house that had been evacuated, said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. Another pair pilfered more than $US200,000 ($323,000) worth of items in a neighbourhood filled with mansions, he said.
Dry winds gusted early on Wednesday up to 80km/h in the mountains around LA, said meteorologist Todd Hall of the National Weather Service. Strong winds were expected to continue for more than a day and could carry fire-sparking embers miles ahead of the fire lines or trigger fire tornadoes, he said.
Much of Southern California was under an elevated fire risk on Tuesday, affecting more than 20 million people from San Diego to far north of Los Angeles.
Right in the bullseye are inland areas north of LA, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley, forecasters said.
The weather service issued a rare warning for Tuesday: The winds, combined with severely dry conditions, have created a “particularly dangerous situation,” meaning that any new fire could explode in size.
Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals while crews and fire engines deployed to particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush. Dozens of additional water trucks rolled in to replenish supplies after hydrants ran dry last week when the two largest fires erupted.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials – who have faced criticism over their initial response to the fires – expressed confidence the day before that the region was ready to face the new threat with scores of additional firefighters brought in from around the US, as well as Canada and Mexico.
“We’re absolutely better prepared,” LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said when asked what would be different from a week ago when hurricane-force winds propelled multiple fires across the parched, brush-filled region that has seen almost no rain in more than eight months.
Although winds were not expected to reach the same fierce speeds as last week, they could ground firefighting aircraft, Marrone said, warning if winds reach 112km/h, “it’s going to be very difficult to contain that fire”.
More than a dozen wildfires have broken out in Southern California since the beginning of the year, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area.
Fire officials advised residents in high-risk areas to just leave home – and not wait for formal evacuation orders – if they sense danger.
That’s exactly what Tim Kang of La Crescenta did last week after the fires started.
Feeling sick from the smoky air and fearful of nearby fires spreading, Kang and his brothers packed up and stayed away from their neighbourhood.
“Everything just felt like, ‘Oh man, the world’s ending,’” said Kang, who’s staying with his girlfriend in Pasadena.
The four fires around the nation’s second-biggest city have scorched more than 163 square kilometres, roughly three times the size of Manhattan.
The Eaton Fire near Pasadena was roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze in Pacific Palisades on the coast was far less contained.
AP
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