LA firefighters scramble to contain deadly wildfires as strong winds return

NEWS WIRES

12 January 2025 at 1:59 am·1-min read

Firefighters in the Los Angeles area on Sunday confronted the return of dangerous winds as they battled to get on top of wildfires that have killed at least 16 people, displaced thousands of others and burned through an area larger than the city of San Francisco.

Firefighters scrambled Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have killed 16 people in the Los Angeles area as forecasters again warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week. At least 16 people were missing, and authorities said that number was expected to rise.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts in the mountains reaching 70 mph (113 kph). The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, said weather service meteorologist Rich Thompson.

“You’re going to have really strong gusty Santa Ana winds, a very dry atmosphere and still very dry brush, so we still have some very critical fire weather conditions out there,” Thompson said at a community meeting Saturday night.

Fierce Santa Anas have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires sparked last week into infernos that leveled entire neighborhoods around the city where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.

Twelve people were missing within the Eaton Fire zone and four from the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Sunday morning.

Officials warned the ash can contain lead, arsenic, asbestos and other harmful materials.

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