Strong Winds Return To Whip Up Los Angeles Fires

(@FahadShabbir)

Strong winds return to whip up Los Angeles fires

Los Angeles, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2025) Wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles on Sunday confronted the return of dangerous winds, as officials vowed firefighters were ready to combat any new blazes whipped up by furious gusts.

At least 16 people have been confirmed dead from infernos that have ripped through the United States' second-largest city for five days, reducing whole communities to scorched rubble and leaving thousands without homes.

Despite massive firefighting efforts, the largest fire spread toward upscale Brentwood and the densely populated San Fernando Valley, as winds up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour hit on Sunday.

Conditions are set to dramatically worsen, with "extreme fire behavior and life threatening conditions" to peak with 70 mile per hour winds in a rare "particularly dangerous situation (PDS)" declared from early Tuesday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld.

These could fan flames and whip up embers from existing burn zones into new areas, firefighters warned.

Los Angeles County Fire Department chief Anthony Marrone said his department had received resources including dozens of new water trucks and firefighters from far afield, and was primed to face the renewed threat.

Questioned whether hydrants could run dry again, as they did during the initial outbreak of fires last week, Mayor Karen Bass replied: "I believe the city is prepared."

Frustration mounted as evacuees waited all day at disaster zone perimeters, hoping to be allowed to visit their homes and try to retrieve vital medication and pets.