Santa Ana winds to keep fire threat high until Wednesday, forecast predicts
The strongest winds are expected on Tuesday, according to L.A. area fire chiefs. There remains no rain in sight to help temper the flames.
As firefighters continue to battle blazes in Los Angeles that have leveled entire neighborhoods, the deadly Santa Ana winds that fueled them have returned and are expected to intensify.
Gusty offshore winds and persistently dry weather are increasing extreme fire threats in the region, officials said at a news conference Sunday. The National Weather Service characterized it as a "Particularly Dangerous Situation," a label used only used five previous times in the history of the weather service office that covers L.A., said Ariel Cohen, meteorologist in charge of that office.
Red flag warnings cover Southern California from the top of the Ventura County coastline to the Mexican border, with most expiring at 6 p.m. Wednesday and a few scheduled to be phased out earlier, according to the weather service.
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Among the strongest winds recorded Sunday in Southern California was a reading of 67 mph at Magic Mountain Truck Trail in the Western San Gabriel Mountains, 65 in Fremont Canyon in Orange County's Santa Ana Mountains, and 64 in Deer Canyon in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in northeastern Orange County.
Rating: 5