High winds are driving a number of wildfires that are blazing through Los Angeles County.
At present, it’s estimated that roughly 1,000 buildings have been destroyed, as firefighters work with great dedication to manage the blazes. Unfortunately, severe winds have made it impossible for the crucial firefighting aircraft to operate, delaying efforts to combat the fires from above.
California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, has declared a state of emergency following reports of two deaths resulting from the fires.
The use of aircraft was suspended at around 8 AM on Wednesday, January 8, because certain areas experienced wind gusts ranging between 80 and 100 MPH.
Margaret Stewart, from the Los Angeles Fire Department, made it clear that officials would continue to closely monitor weather conditions, aiming to resume the use of aircraft as soon as it became safe. Fire Chief Anthony Marrone of L.A. County had previously forewarned on Tuesday that increasing wind conditions would keep aircraft from being used.
Governor Newsom further explained that using planes under such high winds would be futile, as the winds would disperse water or retardant almost immediately after they were released by the aircraft.
So far, over 30,000 people from the Palisades area have been evacuated due to the ongoing threat of the fires.
As of 10:40 AM PST, the Department of Forest and Fire Protection had reported zero percent containment for several fires, including the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, and Woodley fires with 5,742 acres already scorched. However, about 50 percent of the Tyler wildfire had been successfully contained, according to CAL FIRE.
UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain provided insights during a briefing on Tuesday, January 7. He remarked, “The current crisis is far from over; in fact, it’s just beginning and is expected to get significantly worse before improving.”
Swain added a warning that the most forceful and widespread winds, coupled with the lowest humidity levels, have yet to manifest.
The National Weather Service anticipates this windstorm to be the most destructive since one that occurred in 2011.
While the period of the most severe winds is expected to conclude by Wednesday night, conditions conducive to fires remain likely throughout the rest of the week.
Swain detailed how vegetation will dry up increasingly as the wind event continues. “Some of the strongest winds are expected at the beginning,” he explained, “but the vegetation will be at its driest in the latter stages, resulting in a prolonged period of extreme fire risk.”
One more challenging element in fighting these wildfires is the region’s severe drought conditions.
According to Alex Hall, director of the UCLA Center for Climate Science, Southern California experienced an unusually hot summer alongside minimal rainfall during what would typically be the wet season. “All this follows two years of plentiful rain, which means there is a significant amount of fuel available for fires,” Hall added.
Officials are urging residents to conserve water, given increasing reports of depleting water hydrants in the area.
