The winds fueling the wildfires in Los Angeles reached a "historic standard," a fire official from neighboring Orange County, California, told Newsmax on Thursday.
Capt. Sean Doran, public information officer for the Orange County Fire Authority, said the Santa Ana winds exceeded what the region typically sees during fire season, calling the ongoing fires in Los Angeles County an "extraordinary event."
"Wildfires are woven into the fabric of Southern California. So wildfires are by no means new," Doran said on "National Report." "However, this particular wind event, this red flag event talked about by the National Weather Service, is a historic standard. So the event we saw come through the last few days is not something that we see as part of our, you know, fire season that we talk about, as part of our Santa Ana wind events we talk about. This was an extraordinary event."
"And so the resources that have been called in ahead of time and continue to pour in from throughout the region and the state match that. Even on our own end here, preparedness level is at its peak," he added.
Doran said Orange County sent 150 firefighting personnel to Los Angeles County, its neighbor to the north, to help battle the blazes. Doran said he did not have specific information from Orange County crews about the reported water shortages in Los Angeles, adding that water challenges are "not unforeseen."
"However, I can speak to, you know, we're flowing hundreds of thousands of gallons of water at any wildfire we respond to in any region. A commercial fire alone can tax a water system," Doran said. "So I can't speak to specifics at all about this fire and any challenges they had. However, we are using an extraordinary amount of water for any wildland fire when you take into account elevation, the mountains, etc. So to have challenges is not unforeseen."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com