Powerful Santa Ana winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation due to a lack of rain have fueled a growing number of rapidly spreading wildfires across Los Angeles. Los Angeles County is currently experiencing at least five fires. In just three days, the Palisades Fire expanded from 10 acres to over 17,000 acres. Cal Fire reports that the Eaton Fire has spread to about 10,600 acres east in the San Gabriel Mountains foothills.
Cal Fire reports that the causes of the largest fires are still under investigation. Massive fires will be fueled “with extreme fire behavior” by low humidity and broad, destructive gusts of up to 100 mph in some locations, according to the Los Angeles National Weather Service office. Luca Carmignani, an assistant professor at San Diego State University and former fire advisor for the Wildland Urban Interface in Southern California, said, “We knew that the vegetation was very dry already and then on top of this, with strong winds like Santa Ana winds that are very dry and gusty, the fire risk was really very high. So it’s not surprising that once the fire started it spread that quickly.”
According to the National Weather Service, dry air from over the interior deserts of California and the Southwest is forced toward the coast by the Santa Ana winds, which are most common in the fall and winter. Over the Santa Ana Mountain range, high-pressure systems shift from east to west, forcing wind to warm where it is compressed. Gwen Fieweger, an AccuWeather meteorologist, stated that a storm in the northwest and a region of high pressure over the Great Basin, the high plateau east of the Sierra Nevada, Mexico to create the conditions for strong winds over Southern California starting on Tuesday. The valleys and canyons found in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains may serve as funnels for the Santa Ana winds, hastening the development of wildfires in these mountainous regions. According to Janice Coen, a project scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, these winds may carry embers over great distances, which enables fires to spread quickly, and they also dry off vegetation on the mountain slopes as they pass.
The exceptionally dry season that preceded the flames probably contributed to their quick spread as well. The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor reported that over 83% of Los Angeles County was in a drought.8 Accuweather reported that Los Angeles has not received a quarter of an inch of rain since April. AccuWeather senior meteorologist Heather Zehr said that several wet winters allowed vegetation to flourish, which the current drought turned into an abundance of dry fuel. Additionally, extremely low humidity aids in drying out plants, which improves their suitability as fire fuel. Zehr said, “It is that dramatic change from very wet to very dry that can set up these more extreme situations, and that is likely affected by climate change.”
Five monstrous blazes — the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Lidia, and Sunset fires — have scorched more than 29,000 acres. 2,93,000 residents are under evacuation orders. The death toll is now at five. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared the situation a “statewide catastrophe,” estimating the economic toll at $52 billion. Newsom said, “This is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. The ferocity of the winds, the dryness of the landscape, and the speed at which these fires are spreading — it’s overwhelming.” The Palisades Fire has incinerated over 17,200 acres. The Los Angeles Unified School District confirmed that two elementary schools and a high school were destroyed, prompting officials to close all schools indefinitely.10 The Eaton Fire has claimed an additional 1,000 structures. Residents in affected areas have been asked to boil water due to possible contamination.
Celebrities including Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, and Anthony Hopkins lost their homes. James Woods blamed “liberal idiots like Gavin Newsom” for the state’s failure to manage the crisis. Sarah Michelle Gellar slammed Los Angeles’ leadership for failing to provide proper evacuation routes. Sara Foster accused state leaders of prioritizing “fish over people.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has faced backlash.16 Looters have taken advantage of the chaos. Two arrests were made on Wednesday. Firefighters are fighting with limited resources as more than 10,300 homes are in danger
