LA firefighters hold the line vs 2 wildfires
LOS ANGELES—Firefighters on Tuesday held the line against two massive wildfires that have ravaged parts of Los Angeles for the past week, even as desert winds and a parched landscape presented extremely hazardous conditions.
Some 8,500 firefighters from at least seven states and two foreign countries prevented the fires from growing for a second straight day as they gained slightly more control of the perimeter of the blazes, which nonetheless have consumed an area the size of Washington.
A fleet of aircraft dropped water and retardant into the rugged hills while ground crews with hand tools and hoses have worked around the clock since the fires broke out on Jan. 7, with the aircraft occasionally grounded by high winds.
The Palisades Fire on the west edge of town held steady at 96 square km burned, and containment increased 3 percentage points to 17 percent—a measurement of how much of the perimeter was under control.
The Eaton Fire in the foothills east of the city stood at 57 sqkm with containment up 2 points to 35 percent.
Red flag conditions
Southern California has lacked any appreciable rain since April, turning brush into tinder as Santa Ana winds originating from the deserts whipped over hilltops and rushed through canyons, sending embers flying up to 3 km ahead of the fires.
Red flag conditions were expected to last through Wednesday after winds peaked overnight with gusts surpassing 80 kph, the National Weather Service said.
Winds were weaker than expected during the day on Tuesday but forecast to peak around 3 a.m. (1100 GMT) on Wednesday, with gusts in the mountains possibly reaching 112 kph.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said 11 new fires broke out in Southern California overnight and were quickly extinguished because firefighters and equipment were positioned ahead of time.
But three other fires were still burning, including one each in neighboring Ventura and Riverside counties that started on Monday and Tuesday.
