Potentially deadly windstorm sparks wildfire in Southern California: NPR

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Gusty winds today are creating an extreme fire danger across much of Southern California, where several small fires have already sent firefighters scrambling.

The National Weather Service warned of high winds and possible fire risks Tuesday through Wednesday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

An evacuation order was issued at 3:07 p.m. local time for people in the Palisades area to leave immediately.

Palisade fire

Since Tuesday afternoon, firefighters have been working to contain a rapidly exploding brush fire driven by 60 mph winds in residential areas of the Pacific Palisades in the Santa Monica Mountains. These wind gusts — which haven’t even reached the predicted maximum of 80 to 100 mph yet — make firefighting difficult, picking up embers and letting them fall as much as 3/4 mile beyond from the line of fire.

There are already reports of structures on fire. Los Angeles firefighters have been warning residents for days about this significant wind event, similar to last month’s weather that burned homes and businesses in Malibu, and the month before in the city of Camarillo.

Southern California hasn’t seen significant precipitation since last April, and a dry fuel pileup combined with winds has the region on alert and preparing for the worst. As LAist’s Jacob Margolis reports, wildfires in the region have become increasingly destructive and deadly.

How to prepare

➡️ Trying to stay safe during a wildfire? There is an app that can help you
➡️ Evacuation terms can be confusing. Here’s what they mean and how to sign up for alerts
➡️ How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke
➡️ That’s why the fire department doesn’t want you to stay behind to defend your home.

Weather outlook

The National Weather Service is reporting extreme risk in areas including the San Fernando Valley, Pasadena, Burbank and the 118/210 freeway corridors.

LAist spoke with Alex Hall, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UCLA, who explained that Santa Ana winds, a local phenomenon, are “very strong, hot winds that… can start very large fires , and it creates a sort of apocalyptic atmosphere here in Los Angeles. »

President Biden was originally scheduled to visit the region on Tuesday, but canceled his visit due to weather concerns.

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