Millions of Southern Californians are coping with dire conditions as wildfires have ravaged the region for a week, already destroying thousands of homes and killing at least 25 people. The National Weather Service has issued an emergency alert, warning that a combination of dry winds and dry conditions have created “particularly hazardous conditions,” suggesting that any fresh fires could quickly spread. can spread from
Santa Ana winds, which began spreading over the mountains before dawn, are expected to persist into Wednesday morning. These powerful gusts are powerful enough to carry combustible debris over great distances, potentially starting new fires in the area.
Meteorologists have implemented “particularly hazardous conditions” red flag wind warnings from Tuesday to Wednesday afternoon local time, as winds are forecast to increase in intensity. Officials have indicated that the heaviest winds are expected from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday, with “very critical fire weather” expected in parts of the region.
An additional 84,800 people are under evacuation orders
At a Tuesday morning news conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reported that about 88,000 residents had been issued mandatory evacuation orders, while an additional 84,800 had received a possible evacuation warning.
Despite the slight drop in evacuation numbers from earlier this week, the sheriff stressed that significant risks remain, CBC News reported.
“Those numbers have come down, but as our fire partners have said: it’s very dangerous for the next 24 hours,” Luna said. “So, we’re keeping a very close eye.”
Thousands of people without electricity
As of Tuesday morning, PowerOutage.us, a national power outage monitoring website, indicated that about 85,000 customers were without power. Southern California There was a power outage.
The situation could worsen as wind speeds increase throughout the day, possibly requiring utilities to implement protective power outages to prevent new fires on their lines.
Southern California Edison issued an advance notice to about 450,000 customers Monday about possible temporary power outages due to expected high winds.
Several arrested amid wildfires
City and county authorities have made nearly 50 arrests since last week in connection with wildfire-related crimes. According to CBC News, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed that four people were taken into custody between Sunday and Monday.
Recent arrests included two curfew violations and a drone-related incident involving two people. Despite warnings from the Federal Aviation Administration and local authorities against flying private drones in Southern California fire suppression zones, there have been two drone incidents since the fire, resulting in three arrests, Luna reported. happened
County officials have detained 34 people during the crisis. LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi confirmed 14 additional arrests in city limits as of Monday, for a variety of crimes including curfew violations, theft, shoplifting, vandalism, impersonating a firefighter and driving while intoxicated. are included.
“It’s not just for looting or stealing that you’re going to jail, or a curfew,” Choi said. “If you are in the area and you don’t belong to the area, you will be stopped and questioned. And you will be held accountable for whatever crime is taking place. So please evacuate.” Stay away from the areas.”
Relief centers have been set up for Californians affected by the fires.
Two disaster recovery centers have been opened, manned by staff representatives. FEMASmall Business Administration, state authorities and charitable organizations.
“When we talk about recovery, it’s really a whole community effort,” said Robert J. FentonJr., regional administrator for FEMA Region 9, on Tuesday.
Facilities are located in Pasadena and Los Angeles. Officials advise residents to submit online assistance requests before visiting the centers.
FEMA provides immediate evacuation assistance of up to $770, with larger grants of up to $43,600 typically available after an insurance settlement. Recipients of as many as FEMA grants may qualify for additional state funding of $10,000, the AP News Agency reported.
The Small Business Administration offers additional low-interest loans in addition to insurance and FEMA coverage. Businesses can access loans of up to $2 million, while homeowners can borrow up to $500,000 for remodeling and an additional $100,000 for personal belongings.
Newsom accused Musk of spreading ‘lies’ about the state’s response
California Governor Gavin Newsom faces. Elon Musk Their social media feud intensifies, allegedly spreading misinformation about the state’s handling of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
The heads of Tesla and SpaceX, who are set to advise President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, have joined Trump in sharply criticizing the governor’s approach to the devastating fires, which have killed 24 people. It has claimed lives and displaced thousands of people.
Musk used his social platform X to attribute widespread residential destruction in Los Angeles to “poor governance at the state and local level that resulted in water shortages.”
“(Musk) was exposed by firefighters for his lies,” Newsom posted late Sunday, sharing video footage where Musk Questions the firefighter about water availability.
The firefighter confirmed the presence of water in “several reservoirs,” adding that the large-scale fire operation required additional support from water trucks.
In another controversy over the weekend, Newsom challenged Musk’s credibility after the businessman shared a false post on X that claimed the governor and Democratic colleagues had committed “non-criminal looting.” .
“It’s illegal — as it always has been,” Newsom clarified, allaying concerns about potential looting in evacuation zones.
“Bad actors will be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
Firefighters prepare for dry conditions and strong winds.
The National Weather Service warned residents of hazardous conditions, saying extremely dry conditions combined with barren winds had created “particularly hazardous conditions,” with the potential for fires to spread quickly.
On Tuesday morning, dry winds reached 40 mph (64 km/h) in coastal and valley areas, while gusts reached 50 mph (80 km/h) in mountainous areas, according to the meteorologist. Was seen. Todd Hall From the National Weather Service. Wind gusts of 65 mph (105 km/h) were forecast to continue into Wednesday afternoon.
An unusual advisory was issued by the weather service, highlighting how the combination of winds and extremely dry conditions created “particularly hazardous conditions.” Hall indicated that these conditions could result in intense fire behavior, potentially dispersing embers 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 km) beyond the flames, and potentially creating fire tornadoes. .