By Sam Stanton, Claire Moses and Patricia Mazzei
Firefighters in Ventura County tackled a new brush fire in the Santa Clara riverbottom Tuesday as intensified winds posed a risk of igniting additional wildfires throughout parts of Southern California. The new blaze sparked while some of the most catastrophic fires in the state’s history continued to ravage brush and the remnants of burned-out neighborhoods.
With peak gusts from the latest bout of Santa Ana winds anticipated Tuesday night, officials in Los Angeles County urged residents to get ready for power outages and prepare for potential evacuations. “Be prepared to leave quickly if you receive an evacuation order or alert,” Anthony C. Marrone, the county’s fire chief, stated at a news conference.
The grim outlook follows a week where high winds and dry conditions fueled fires that resulted in at least 24 fatalities and left nearly two dozen individuals unaccounted for. Over 100,000 residents have been displaced, and entire communities have been obliterated.
— Containment updates: The most extensive fire in Los Angeles County, the Palisades fire, exceeded 23,000 acres but was only 17% contained on Tuesday, an increase from 14%. The Eaton fire spanned more than 14,000 acres and was only 35% contained, rising from 33%. There were no new reports of homes or significant structures burning in either of the fires.
— A new fire: By Tuesday morning, firefighters in Ventura County, northwest of the city, had successfully contained the Auto fire, which had expanded to over 50 acres Monday night shortly after igniting in a riverbed filled with thick brush. However, fire officials remained concerned about the potential for the blaze to escape again in windy conditions.
— Forecast: The National Weather Service issued an exceptionally rare red-flag warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The agency stated that “particularly hazardous” conditions, featuring wind gusts of 45 to 70 mph and very low humidity, could lead to “explosive fire growth” on Tuesday.
— Evacuation zone: Police turned away hundreds of individuals attempting to access the evacuation zone for the Palisades fire on Monday. That fire has destroyed hundreds of residences in a region northwest of downtown Los Angeles and has claimed at least eight lives.
— Housing crisis: The fires have intensified the housing crisis in Los Angeles. On Monday night, Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order aimed at accelerating the permitting process for rebuilding efforts after the fires and facilitating the approval of temporary housing for displaced families. Hundreds of schoolteachers were among those who lost their homes.
