Strong California Winds Could Fuel Raging LA Wildfires

A beefed-up firefighting force was staged around Los Angeles to attack flare-ups or new blazes and anxious residents were prepared for the worst as dangerous winds were expected to build Tuesday, a week after two massive infernos destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.

Tabitha Trosen packed the meaningful things in her life and felt she was "teetering" on the edge with the constant fear that her neighborhood could be the next under threat.

"Our cats are ready to go, we have their carriers by the door prepped with their little stuffed animals and things like that," Trosen said. "It's like, how do I take care of myself, and what are the things that will ground me as a human and remind me of my background and my life and my family."

On Monday, planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines were placed near particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush. Dozens of additional water trucks rolled in to replenish supplies after hydrants ran dry last week when the two largest fires erupted.

Los Angeles Democrat Mayor Karen Bass and other officials — who have faced criticism over their initial response to fires that began last week — expressed confidence Monday that the region was ready to face the new threat with scores of additional firefighters brought in from around the U.S., as well as Canada and Mexico.

"We're absolutely better prepared," LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said when asked what will be different from a week ago, when hurricane-force winds propelled multiple fires across the parched, brush-filled region that has seen almost no rain in more than eight months.

More than a dozen wildfires have broken out in Southern California since Jan. 1, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area.

The latest started Monday night in a dry riverbed in an agricultural area of Oxnard, about 55 miles (89 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, and tore through tall brush before firefighters stopped its progress, the Ventura County Fire Department said.

Winds began gusting in the mountains surrounding Los Angeles early Tuesday and were forecast to continue through midday Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. They are not expected to reach hurricane-force like last week, but they could ground firefighting aircraft, Marrone said, warning if winds reach 70 mph (112 kph), "it's going to be very difficult to contain that fire."

The National Weather Service warned the weather will be "particularly dangerous" Tuesday, when gusts could reach 65 mph (105 kph). A large part of Southern California around Los Angeles is under an extreme fire danger warning through Wednesday, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley.

Fire officials advised residents in high-risk areas to just leave home — and not wait for formal evacuation orders — if they sense danger.

That is exactly what Tim Kang of La Crescenta did last Wednesday. Feeling sick from the smoky air and fearful of nearby fires spreading, Kang and his brothers packed up and have stayed away from their neighborhood.

"Everything just felt like, ‘Oh man, the world's ending,'" said Kang, who's staying with his girlfriend in Pasadena.

In less than a week, four fires around the nation's second-biggest city have scorched more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan.

The Eaton Fire near Pasadena is roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze in Pacific Palisades on the coast is far less contained.

The death toll is likely to rise, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday. At least two dozen were missing, he said.

Luna said he understands that people are eager to return to their homes and neighborhoods to survey the damage, but he asked for their patience.

"We have people literally looking for the remains of your neighbors," he said.

At a Monday evening community meeting about the Palisades Fire, a Los Angeles Police Department official said many people reported as missing had been found. It wasn't clear if there was overlap in the numbers shared by the sheriff.

LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to stay away from burned neighborhoods filled with broken gas lines and unstable buildings.

Just under 100,000 in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders, half the number from last week.

Beyoncé, Disney and other celebrities and entertainment organizations have pledged millions to help those who have been displaced or lost their homes. Other stars — and ordinary people — have left large donations of clothing and other items along street corners in around the city.

Dozens of people have been arrested for looting after the wildfires. Officials are now starting to see price gouging and scams, including with hotels and short-term rentals and medical supplies, said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

The fires that began Tuesday north of downtown LA have burned more than 12,000 homes, cars and other structures.

Authorities have not determined an official cause for any of the fires. Southern California Edison has acknowledged agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller blaze.

A lawsuit filed Monday claims the utility's equipment sparked the much bigger Eaton Fire. Edison did not respond to a request for comment and last week said it had not received any suggestions that its equipment ignited that blaze.

AccuWeather's early estimates suggest the fires could be the nation's costliest ever, topping $250 billion including what's to come in the next days. The reconstruction cost for commercial and residential properties inside areas with active fires could be $14.8 billion, according to real estate data tracker CoreLogic.