Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone says crews are “on edge” as the National Weather Service (NWS) updated the time for residents to be aware of a “particularly dangerous situation” amid the ongoing wildfires.
Why It Matters
Portions of Southern California are under a red flag warning along with a “particularly dangerous situation” alert for 3 a.m. Wednesday until 3 p.m. in the afternoon. Winds could gust up to 70 mph in the mountains and 50 mph along the coast and in the valleys, the NWS says.
Last week, Los Angeles County was ravaged by concurrent wildfires across multiple neighborhoods. The deadly Palisades and Eaton fires—in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, and Pasadena and Altadena, respectively, have been the most destructive.
Air quality is also a concern for residents in Southern California as these wildfires rage. Newsweek has reached out to the Los Angeles County Fire Department via email for comment Tuesday night.
What To Know
While speaking to CNN‘s Anderson Cooper on Tuesday evening, Marrone was asked what his biggest concerns were for the next 12 to 24 hours: “The National Weather Service changed the hours for the extreme red flag event, that’s going to begin at 3 a.m. this morning for a twelve-hour period. So, I think that we’re all ‘on edge.’ We do have a lot of resources here in L.A. County, but you’re correct; firefighting is dangerous and dirty,” Marrone said.
The NWS Los Angeles also took to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday to alert residents that they are “not quite out of the woods yet,” ahead of the dangers overnight and into Wednesday.
As of Tuesday morning, the Palisades fire has engulfed more than 23,000 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the Eaton fire has scorched over 14,000 acres. Both fires remain under investigation as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms probes the potential origin and cause of the Palisades fire.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, also announced a new executive order on Tuesday making “unsolicited undervalued offers” on properties in specific ZIP codes unlawful for three months. Newsom’s executive order lists the ZIP codes in the affected areas.
What People Are Saying
NWS Los Angeles posted to X on Tuesday: “Key message: We are not out of the woods yet. Please stay on guard for a fast-moving fire. The winds underperformed today, but one more enhancement could happen tonight-tomorrow. The PDS Red Flag Warning remains in effect for the same areas, now for 3am to 3pm Wed. #cawx.”
Newsom said on X in one of his posts Tuesday: “California is working closely with the federal government to get debris removal teams quickly into the areas of Los Angeles that have been devastated by the hurricane-force firestorms. We’re clearing obstacles to ensure cleanup happens as soon as it’s safe for teams to move in.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, said on X Tuesday: “I issued an executive order to clear the way for Angelenos to rebuild their homes as quickly as possible. We’re cutting red tape to get Angelenos back home.
-Streamline debris removal
-Swiftly issue permits & bypass state CEQA reviews.
-Expedite 1,400 units of housing to immediately get more Angelenos housed.”
What Happens Next
The extreme red flag warning expires at 3 p.m. Wednesday as winds are expected to calm, the NWS says.
The post Los Angeles Fire Chief Says Crews ‘On Edge’ Amid New Wind Warning appeared first on Newsweek.
