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News ID: 136085
Publish Date : 21 January 2025 - 22:24

New Fires Break Out as Winds Pick Up in California

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Winds picked up on Tuesday in Southern California and at least a couple of new wildfires broke out as firefighters remained on alert in extreme fire weather two weeks after two major blazes started that are still burning in the Los Angeles area.
Gusts could peak at 70 mph (113 kph) along the coast and 100 mph (160 kph) in the mountains and foothills during extreme fire weather that is expected to last through Tuesday morning. Wind speeds ranged from 35 mph (56 kph ) along the coast to 63 mph (101 kph) in the mountains overnight, according to National Weather Service reports.
The weather service issued a warning of a “particularly dangerous situation” for parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning due to low humidity and damaging Santa Ana winds.
“The conditions are ripe for explosive fire growth should a fire start,” said Andrew Rorke, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard.
At least two small fires started in San Diego County. Evacuation orders were issued for the Lilac Fire, which had burned about 50 acres (20 hectares). It was growing “with a moderate rate of spread and structures are threatened,” the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection posted. Firefighters made progress on the Pala Fire and it was reported as stopped, the agency said.
On Monday, Los Angeles fire crews quickly put out a small brush fire that broke out south of the iconic triple-domed Griffith Observatory. A man suspected of starting the fire was taken into custody, said David Cuellar, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman. Firefighters also quickly extinguished a brush fire along Interstate 405 in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Granada Hills that temporarily closed the northbound lanes.
Fire crews aggressively fought a blaze that also sparked Monday afternoon in the city of Poway, in San Diego County, and stopped its forward progress.
The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong Santa Ana winds come as firefighters continue to battle two major blazes in the Los Angeles area, the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out during fierce winds on Jan. 7. The Palisades fire was 61% contained early Tuesday and the Eaton fire 87% contained, according to fire officials.