Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
LOS ANGELES - Dangerous winds returned to Southern California on Tuesday as new wildfires broke out and a pair of major Los Angeles-area blazes burned for a third week, while officials made preparations to protect scorched neighborhoods from toxic ash runoff ahead of potential rain this weekend.
Forecasters cautioned that gusts could peak at 70 mph along the coast and 100 mph in mountains and foothills during extreme fire weather that's expected to last through Tuesday afternoon.
The National Weather Service warned of a " particularly dangerous situation " across Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties due to low humidity and powerful Santa Ana winds. Gusts will ease later in the day, but windy conditions are expected into Thursday.
Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft positioned across the region allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up over the holiday weekend, said David Acuna, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
"Our concern is the next fire, the next spark that causes the next wildfire," Acuna said Tuesday. He said another worry was that the two major blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires near Los Angeles, could break their containment lines.
Evacuation orders were issued for the Lilac Fire in the San Diego area, which had burned at least 80 acres of dry brush and was threatening structures around Bonsall early Tuesday, Cal Fire said. Meanwhile, crews stopped the forward progress of the nearby Pala Fire.
As a small number of residents were allowed to return to the devastated Pacific Palisades area, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Tuesday to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides, install barriers and reinforce roads ahead of possible rain this weekend that could create mud and debris flows.
"This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire, and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff," Bass said during a news conference.
Bass warned that winds could disperse ash and urged Angelenos to visit lacity.gov to learn about ways to protect themselves from toxic air during the latest Santa Ana wind event.
Los Angeles firefighters on Monday quickly extinguished a small brush fire near the iconic Griffith Observatory in a sprawling park overlooking the city. A man suspected of starting the fire was taken into custody, LA police said. Fire crews also quickly extinguished a small blaze near Tujunga and another one along Interstate 405 in the Granada Hills neighborhood that temporarily closed northbound lanes.
Southern California Edison said it had preemptively shut off power to more than 61,000 customers in five counties to prevent winds from toppling electrical equipment and sparking new fires. The utility said it was considering precautionary shutoffs for an additional 251,00 customers.
Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans and prepare emergency kits, and be on the lookout for fires and report them quickly.
The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds come as firefighters continue battling the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out Jan. 7. The Palisades Fire was 61% contained and containment of the Eaton Fire reached 87%.
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