Extreme fire conditions, poor air quality remain in Southern California as high winds persist
The extreme fire conditions caused by a "life-threatening" windstorm have been deemed a "particularly dangerous situation," weather officials say.
This type of red flag warning is a relatively rare advisory that the National Weather Service issues in extreme cases.
Much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties are under a red flag warning as wind gusts have a high potential for spreading fire, the NWS said. The warning will remain until Thursday as damaging wind gusts could reach up to 80 mph causing downed trees and power outages. A fire weather watch will go into effect Thursday night into Friday. Humidity levels will be in the single digits with very poor overnight recoveries.
KCAL News Meteorologist Paul Deanno said since the start of December, Los Angeles has only had .02 inches of rain. This has been the driest start to winter since 1964. The average for this time of year is usually over three inches.
Deanno said although peak winds have passed and there have been some improvements, there is a still critical fire danger. As the day continues, areas like Riverside, Santa Clarita and San Bernardino could still see wind gusts over 30 mph, KCAL News Meteorologist Alex Biston said.
Firefighters will not be able to have relief until later in the evening when gusts die down.
Over the past day, Southern California has been devasted by major brush fires erupting and spreading quickly. The Palisades Fire has burned over 11,000 acres, the Eaton Fire has burned over 2,000 and the Hurst Fire has burned 500 acres.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a smoke advisory in parts of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties. They urge people who can smell or see smoke to avoid or limit outdoor activities.
Before this Santa Ana wind event, weather officials warned of a "life-threatening and destructive windstorm." They predicted it would be the most powerful one to hit the region since 2011, which caused 400,000 people to lose power.
Southern California could see another round of windy weather will likely return Friday and early next week.
This is the same type of red flag warning that was issued for the Franklin Fire in Malibu which burned over 4,000 acres and the Mountain Fire that scorched nearly 20,000 acres in Ventura County.
