New wildfire concerns in Los Angeles: Strong winds could return next week.


New wildfire concerns in Los Angeles: Strong winds could return next week.

Jan.17, 2025 LOS ANGELES − Firefighters were making steady progress on the deadly fires that have destroyed thousands of homes and other buildings across the region, but residents must prepare for a return of the strong winds that could rekindle and spread the flames, authorities said Thursday. Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said a large amount of unburned, dry fuel combined with low humidity and the expected return of the harsh Santa Ana winds next week could bring more devastation. She urged residents to clear all brush within 200 feet of their homes. “Flying embers from a wildfire can destroy homes over a mile away," Crowley said at a briefing Thursday. She asked residents to provide first responders with a "fighting chance" to save homes if the fires spread. Mudslides also are a concern. Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said he expects "massive debris flows" when rains finally come to the region. The county is scrambling to prepare flood control systems for the onslaught, he said. The fires have reduced entire neighborhoods along the Pacific Coast and inland near the San Gabriel Mountains to ash and rubble. At least 27 people have died in the fires, 31 others are missing, and more than 12,000 homes, businesses and other structures have been damaged or destroyed.