By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-12 23:37:59 | Updated at 2025-01-13 02:46:59
3 hours ago
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 towards upscale Brentwood and the densely populated San Fernando Valley, as winds up to 80km/h (50mph) hit on Sunday.
Conditions are set to dramatically worsen, with “extreme fire behaviour and life threatening conditions” to peak with 113km/h (70mph) 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.
