(Bloomberg) --Los Angeles is bracing for critical wildfire conditions again as dry winds scour Southern California, creating the risk of more blazes in the wake of a disaster that has killed at least 24 people, driven thousands from their homes and touched off political infighting.
A "particularly dangerous situation red flag warning" — a relatively rare alert — remains in effect across Los Angeles and parts of three other counties through most of Wednesday as tropical-storm-strength gusts are set to sweep the region, according to the
"It is definitely worse conditions today and a lingering threat tomorrow, then it should improve after that," said Marc Chenard, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center.
The two largest fires – Eaton and Palisades – have become among the worst in California history. The flames have upended life in America's second-largest city, with more than 31,000 Los Angeles County homes and businesses still
Read more:
The "particularly dangerous" fire warning issued Wednesday "is seen only once every five years and, yes, this is our fourth in the last three months," said John Dumas, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard, California. Fires erupted during each of the last three such events: First in Ventura County in November, then in Malibu in December, then last week across the region.
The Eaton Fire has become the fifth-deadliest in state history, killing at least 16 people and consuming more than 7,000 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, commonly known as
Through late Tuesday, the Palisades Fire was 18% contained and the Eaton Fire was 35% contained. The smaller Hurst Fire was nearly out and the Auto Fire, which has burned 61 acres, was about 47% contained, Cal Fire said.
The Eaton and Palisades fires are expected to rank among the costliest in modern US history. Wells Fargo & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimate insured losses could reach as much as $30 billion. Analysts with investment bank Keefe Bruyette & Woods on Tuesday warned total losses for the insurance industry could reach $40 billion.
The fires have also touched off political debate on the local, state, and federal level, with some in Congress threatening to put conditions on aid to California in the wake of the fires.
With almost no rain falling in Los Angeles since July and drought conditions worsening across Southern California, any fire threat raises alarm for residents. Experts were worried for months that there would be a rash of severe blazes because plentiful rain and snow over the last two years has left California's hillsides, mountains and valleys full of fine grass and vegetation, which dried out and turned into fuel for fires.
Read more:
Another round of wind forecast to arrive early next week has officials on edge. Right now, outlooks aren't clear as to how intense those winds will be, but the risk will remain high.
"That would be the next one to watch," Chenard said.
