L.A. officials fear more fires as crews prepare for extreme winds

A swimming pool sits amid charred homes and burned cars in the rubble of the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades. Photo: agustin paullier/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
A swimming pool sits amid charred homes and burned cars in the rubble of the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades. Photo: agustin paullier/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Summary

A new blaze sparked up in Southern California and nearly 13 million people were under critical or extreme fire warnings.

A new blaze sparked up in Southern California and nearly 13 million people were under critical or extreme fire warnings, underlining the task still facing fire crews and emergency responders in the weeklong fight against rampant wildfires.

Further evacuation orders were issued overnight in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, as a fire raged. That fire, near the city of Oxnard, was 0% uncontained early Tuesday.

The resurgence of powerful winds across the region slowed the containment of the historic wildfires that have so far left 24 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed.

Wind gusts are expected to reach speeds in excess of 70 miles an hour later in the day, the National Weather Service said Tuesday, risking further spread and hindering the aerial drops of retardant and water that gave firefighters some hope over the weekend.

“We are not in the clear as of yet," Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said. “We must not let our guard down."

The combination of strong winds, low humidity and dry brush and vegetation helps accelerate wildfires, hampering efforts to contain the destructive blazes and fueling the spread of new ones. A lull in those winds over the weekend allowed crews to gain a foothold in the fight, but the reprieve was short-lived and forecasters warned extreme, dangerous fire weather would persist for much of the week.

As firefighters spent Monday creating containment lines around the Palisades and Eaton fires, preparations were being made elsewhere for the coming windstorm.

Dozens of water and firetrucks were positioned in the Riviera neighborhood, east of the Pacific Palisades, over concerns the violent winds could fan the Palisades fire toward Brentwood and Bel-Air.

Tree-trimming and landscaping contractors were busy clearing vegetation from around houses and power lines.

The coming windstorm is expected to hit a swath of the region, including Ventura County, the San Fernando Valley and part of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley, according to the weather service.

The Palisades fire was just 14% contained early Tuesday, according to Cal Fire.

The Eaton fire to the east in Altadena and Pasadena was 33% contained Tuesday. The devastating blaze has ripped through more than 14,000 acres and destroyed thousands of homes, buildings and other structures.

President Biden said Monday he had activated 500 U.S. Marines to stand by to help with search-and-rescue efforts, airlift support and the distribution of food and water. “I want to be clear. We’re not waiting until those fires are over to start helping the victims," he said during a briefing in the Oval Office. He also said people who were affected by the fires would receive a one-time payment of $770 so they could purchase items such as water, baby formula and prescriptions.

At least two lawsuits have been filed in Los Angeles state court by residents and business owners who blame Southern California Edison for starting and failing to prevent the Eaton fire. The utility company said the cause of the fire is under investigation and it will review the lawsuits when they are received.

The disaster in Los Angeles could prove the most expensive fire in modern global history, according to early estimates. Insurance brokers are raising their estimates for total losses to insurers, with Evercore ISI analysts projecting $25 billion in total losses.

Students returned to campuses across the Los Angeles Unified School District Monday. Hundreds of thousands of free N95 masks were made available at public libraries and recreation centers to help protect against toxic air quality.

Some Hollywood productions were back up, having been largely shuttered last week. While the Grammys are set to go ahead as planned on Feb. 2, major labels Universal Music and Warner Music have canceled all Grammy-related parties. The companies said they would redirect resources used for those events to assist with wildfire-relief efforts.

The National Weather Service said the dangerous winds were likely to die down by late Thursday and into the weekend.

Write to Gareth Vipers at gareth.vipers@wsj.com

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