Weary residents face dire warnings as strong winds threaten more areas in LA

Much of Southern California was under an elevated fire risk on Tuesday, affecting more than 20 million people from San Diego to far north of Los Angeles.
Right in the bullseye are inland areas north of LA, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley, forecasters said.
The weather service issued a rare warning for Tuesday: The winds, combined with severely dry conditions, have created a “particularly dangerous situation,” meaning that any new fire could explode in size.
Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines deployed to particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush. Dozens of additional water trucks rolled in to replenish supplies after hydrants ran dry last week when the two largest fires erupted.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials – who have faced criticism over their initial response to the fires – expressed confidence the day beofre that the region was ready to face the new threat with scores of additional firefighters brought in from around the US, as well as Canada and Mexico.
“We’re absolutely better prepared,” LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said when asked what will be different from a week ago, when hurricane-force winds propelled multiple fires across the parched, brush-filled region that has seen almost no rain in more than eight months.
Although winds were not expected to reach the same fierce speeds seen last week, they could ground firefighting aircraft, Marrone said, warning if winds reach 112km/h, “it’s going to be very difficult to contain that fire.”
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More than a dozen wildfires have broken out in Southern California since the beginning of the year, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area.
Fire officials advised residents in high-risk areas to just leave home – and not wait for formal evacuation orders – if they sense danger.
That’s exactly what Tim Kang of La Crescenta did last week after the fires started. Feeling sick from the smoky air and fearful of nearby fires spreading, Kang and his brothers packed up and have stayed away from their neighbourhood.
“Everything just felt like, ‘Oh man, the world’s ending,’” said Kang, who’s staying with his girlfriend in Pasadena.
The four fires around the nation’s second-biggest city have scorched more than 163 square kilometres, roughly three times the size of Manhattan.
The Eaton Fire near Pasadena was roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze in Pacific Palisades on the coast was far less contained.