Firefighters prepare for strong winds that could fuel Los Angeles fire growth
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A beefed-up firefighting force was staged around Los Angeles to attack flare-ups or new blazes and anxious residents prepared for more fire danger as winds began to build Tuesday, a week after two massive infernos destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.
Tabitha Trosen packed the meaningful things in her life and felt she was “teetering” on the edge with the constant fear that her neighborhood could be the next under threat “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.”Dry winds gusted early Tuesday to 40 mph (64 kilometers per hour) in coastal and valley areas and 50 miles per hour (80 kph) in the mountains, said meteorologist Todd Hall of the National Weather Service. Gusts up to 65 mph (105 kph) were forecast to continue through midday Wednesday.
The weather service issued a rare warning that the winds combined with severely dry conditions created a “particularly dangerous situation” indicating that any new fire could explode in size. Hall said the conditions could lead to extreme fire behavior that could spread embers 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 kilometers) ahead of flames or even cause fire tornadoes.
On Monday, planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines were placed near 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.