Los Angeles braces for 'explosive fires' as high winds approach
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Los Angeles braced for near-hurricane winds on Monday, which forecasters said could intensify the devastating wildfires sweeping Southern California as damage estimates grew.
As firefighters work to contain deadly blazes that continue to rage in the suburbs of the nation's second-largest city, the National Weather Service has issued a “red flag alert” warning as conditions worsen.
The area is expected to experience winds of up to 75 mph Monday night into Wednesday morning, which combined with extremely dry conditions will create “severe fire weather,” according to the National Weather Service.
“The National Weather Service is predicting winds approaching hurricane force, so we are making emergency preparations,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday. “My priority, and everyone else's priority, is to do what we can to protect lives as the winds approach.”
Authorities have been battling the blaze, which has burned more than 40,000 acres, since last Tuesday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom warned that the fires could become the costliest disaster in U.S. history as he clashed with President-elect Donald Trump over the state's response.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, but Southern California Edison filed several lawsuits Monday alleging the company failed to properly turn off power lines despite warnings, leading to the Eaton fire.
Shares of parent company Edison International fell 11.9% on Monday. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Insurance stocks also took a hit as expected losses grew. JPMorgan analysts estimate industry-wide losses at about $20 billion, which would be the largest loss in the state's history.
On Monday, Newsom said he was proposing $2.5 billion in additional emergency funding to help Los Angeles recover, clean up and reopen schools. “California is organizing a Marshall Plan to help Los Angeles rebuild faster and stronger,” he said in a statement. The funding requires approval by the state Legislature.
The worst of them, the Pacific Palisades Fire, was only 14% contained late Monday, raising concerns that strong winds in the coming days will reverse progress in fighting the blaze.
The weather service warned of “extreme fire danger” until Wednesday and said the existing warning category – “Red Flag Warning for Particularly Hazardous Conditions” – was reserved for “extreme extreme fire weather scenarios”.
“In other words, this situation is bad enough,” the National Weather Service warned, warning that strong winds could cause “explosive fire spread.”
The death toll reached 24 on Monday, officials said, and was expected to rise as authorities searched for missing people in the rubble.
The disaster has spilled into the political arena, with Trump on Sunday attacking state authorities for failing to stem the damage. “Fires are still raging in Los Angeles and incompetent police don't know how to put them out,” he posted on his truth social network.
The incoming Republican president accused California's governor, a Democrat, of depleting water reserves to protect endangered fish and refusing to sign a “water recovery declaration.” Newsom's office said no such statement existed.
“I don't think this kind of misinformation and disinformation is good or helpful to any of us,” Newsom told NBC. Meet the media On Sunday, he noted that he had invited the president-elect to visit the affected areas but had yet to receive a response. “We're going to spend another month responding to Donald Trump's insults.”
Meanwhile, city officials are warning about price gougers who are raising prices on rental properties as thousands flee their homes.
Local news website LAist found that the monthly price of a furnished home in Bel Air listed on Zillow is $29,500, an increase of 86% from September.
Cartography by Steven Bernard