Get Instant Loan up to ₹10 Lakh!
(Bloomberg) -- The dry, dangerous winds that have kept fire-scarred Los Angeles on edge for days are finally forecast to end — but a lack of rain and another round of winds forecast next week already has officials worried.
The last of the red flag warnings that blanketed much of Southern California this week was expected to end at 3 p.m. local time Thursday, as the offshore winds fueling the region’s deadly blazes fade, according to the National Weather Service.
Until then, however, forecasters warn of more 40 mile-per-hour (64 kilometers-per-hour) wind gusts that could fan any spark into a major fire. Indeed, San Bernardino County firefighters on Wednesday afternoon reported a vegetation fire that quickly spread to 30 acres and threatened buildings.
The most severe threat warning covering parts of Ventura and LA counties expired Wednesday afternoon, with other fire warnings for much of Southern California to lapse at 6 p.m. More wind-prone areas along the Interstate 5 corridor and the mountains north of Los Angeles were to remain under red flag warnings overnight.
“The combination of low humidity and strong winds has further dried out the brush, increasing the risk of fire,” Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said Wednesday at a press conference. “The danger has not yet passed, so please prioritize your safety.”
The two largest fires burning in the area – Eaton and Palisades – have become among the most destructive in California history. The flames have killed at least 25 people and upended life in America’s second-largest city, with more than 37,000 Los Angeles County homes and businesses still without power and many schools either destroyed or badly damaged. Evacuations have forced many residents to move in with family or friends, compete over expensive rentals or temporarily leave the area altogether.
The Eaton Fire has become the fifth-deadliest in state history, killing at least 16 people and consuming more than 7,000 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, commonly known as Cal Fire. The larger Palisades blaze has claimed at least eight lives.
By Wednesday, the Palisades Fire was 19% contained and the Eaton Fire was 45% contained. The smaller Hurst Fire was nearly out and the Auto Fire, which has burned 61 acres, was about 50% contained, Cal Fire said. Evacuation warnings rose slightly on Wednesday to cover about 90,400 people, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a press conference.
There are 26 people still missing in the vicinity of the fires, including 20 near the Eaton blaze and six in the area of the Palisades Fire, Luna said.
The Eaton and Palisades fires are expected to rank among the costliest in modern US history. Wells Fargo & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimate insured losses could reach as much as $30 billion. Analysts with investment bank Keefe Bruyette & Woods on Tuesday warned total losses for the insurance industry could reach $40 billion.
The fires have also touched off political debate on the local, state, and federal levels, with some in Congress threatening to put conditions on aid to California in the wake of the fires.
With almost no rain falling in Los Angeles since July and drought conditions worsening across Southern California, any fire threat alarms residents. Experts were worried for months that there would be a rash of severe blazes because plentiful rain and snow over the last two years has left California’s hillsides, mountains and valleys full of fine grass and vegetation, which dried out and turned into fuel for fires.
Another round of winds forecast to arrive early next week has officials worried. Right now, the outlook isn’t clear as to how intense those winds will be, but the risk will remain high.
“That would be the next one to watch,” said Marc Chenard, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center.
--With assistance from Alicia Clanton.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.