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Strong winds and low humidity heighten fire risk in LA

Writer's picture: The San Juan Daily StarThe San Juan Daily Star


An aerial view of the damage inflicted by the Palisades fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, on Tuesday, Jan.14, 2025. (Mark Abramson/The New York Times)
An aerial view of the damage inflicted by the Palisades fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, on Tuesday, Jan.14, 2025. (Mark Abramson/The New York Times)

By Patricia Mazzei, Kate Selig and Mike Ives


Residents of the Los Angeles area faced a third consecutive day of strong wind warnings and remained at risk for new fires Wednesday, more than a week after devastating blazes began tearing through Southern California.


A sign describing a power pole replacement project spattered with fire retardant in front of an area burned by the Palisades fire in the Topanga community outside of Los Angeles, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)
A sign describing a power pole replacement project spattered with fire retardant in front of an area burned by the Palisades fire in the Topanga community outside of Los Angeles, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Max Whittaker/The New York Times)

The most dangerous fire conditions that forecasters warned of, including gusts of at least 30 mph, had not yet materialized by midmorning. On Tuesday, weaker-than-predicted winds allowed firefighters to make progress against the largest blazes and tame or extinguish new, smaller ones.


The crisis created by the fires, which have killed at least 25 people and displaced more than 100,000, is far from over. More than 82,000 people in Los Angeles County are under evacuation orders, with another 90,400 under evacuation warnings, according to the county sheriff, Robert Luna, who spoke at a news briefing Wednesday morning.


Here is what we’re covering:


— Containment updates: The Palisades fire, the largest in the area, has burned nearly 24,000 acres and was 19% contained Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton fire covered more than 14,000 acres and was 45% contained. The Auto fire, which grew to more than 60 acres in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, was 50% contained. No more homes or major structures were burning in either the Palisades or Eaton fire, though officials said embers could still linger underground.


— Forecast: Wind gusts and dangerously low humidity Wednesday could cause new or existing fires to grow rapidly, according to the National Weather Service. A weather system moving in Thursday is likely to make it easier for firefighters to gain control of the blazes, though forecasters have warned of another possible wind event early next week.


— Housing woes: Among the longer-term fears is that the destruction of thousands of homes has made the city’s dire housing shortage worse. On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and members of the Los Angeles City Council took preliminary steps to prevent property speculation, evictions and large rent increases.

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