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Los Angeles braced for near “hurricane” winds on Monday that meteorologists said could fuel the devastating wildfires that have ravaged southern California as damage estimates mounted.
While the firefighters are fighting to prevent the flames that kill that continued to swell in the suburbs of the second largest city in the United States, the National Weather Service issued a “red flag warning” amid worsening conditions.
Wind gusts of up to 75 miles per hour were expected to hit the area from Monday night into Wednesday morning, according to the NWS, combining with very dry conditions to create a “critical fire heaven”.
“The National Weather Service is predicting near hurricane force winds, so we’re making quick preparations,” LA Mayor Karen Bass said Monday. “My priority, and everyone’s priority, is to do everything we can to protect life as these winds approach.”
Since last Tuesday, authorities have battled the flames that have burned more than 40,000 hectares of land. California Governor Gavin Newsom warned that the fire could change the most expensive disaster in US history as he clashed with president-elect Donald Trump over the country’s response.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but several lawsuits were filed against the Southern California Edison utility on Monday alleging that it failed to properly shut down power lines despite warnings, leading to the fire. of Eaton.
Shares in its parent Edison International fell 11.9 percent on Monday. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Insurance premiums were also hit as expected costs increased. Analysts at JPMorgan estimated the industry’s losses at around $20bn, which would be the largest in the government’s history.
The greatest of epidemics, the Pacific Palisades fire, was only 14 percent contained as of Monday, prompting fears that strong currents in the coming days will set back progress in fighting the flames.
The weather service warned that the “high risk of fire” would continue until Wednesday and said that the warning category – “high risk warning” – was reserved for “extreme weather conditions in fire”.
“In other words, this configuration is about to get worse,” the NWS warned as it warned strong winds could cause “larger fire outbreaks”.
The death toll rose to 24 on Monday, officials said, and was expected to rise as authorities scoured the ruins for missing people.
The crisis has spilled over into the political arena, with Trump on Sunday attacking federal officials for failing to stop the destruction. “Fires are burning in L.A. Stupid bullies don’t know how to put them out,” he wrote on his Social Network.
The incoming Republican president sued CaliforniaThe governor, a Democrat, to reduce water storage areas to protect endangered fish species, and refused to sign a “water restoration proclamation”. Newsom’s office said there was no such announcement.
“That misinformation and misinformation I don’t think is beneficial or helpful to any of us,” Newsom told NBC. Meet the Announcement on Sunday, he noted that he had invited the president-elect to visit the affected areas but had not yet received a response. “If we answered Donald Trump’s insults, we would last another month.”
Meanwhile, city officials have warned against price gougers who have inflated the prices of rental properties as thousands of people flee their homes.
LAist, a local news site, found a Zillow listing for a foreclosed home in Bel Air going for $29,500 a month — 86 percent more than in September.
Map images created by Steven Bernard
