Los Angeles is bracing for “explosive fire growth” as strong winds approach
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Los Angeles braced for winds near “hurricane force” on Monday that weather forecasters said could fan the devastating wildfires sweeping across Southern California as damage estimates mounted.
As firefighters struggled to contain it deadly fires As weather continued to rage in the suburbs of the second-largest U.S. city, the National Weather Service issued a “red flag” warning amid deteriorating conditions.
According to the NWS, winds of up to 75 mph were expected in the region Monday night through Wednesday morning, resulting in “critical fire weather,” along with extremely dry conditions.
“The National Weather Service is predicting winds near hurricane strength, and that is why we are making urgent preparations,” LA Mayor Karen Bass said Monday. “My top priority and everyone else’s priority is to do everything we can to protect lives as these winds approach.”
Authorities have been battling fires since last Tuesday that have burned more than 40,000 hectares of land. California Governor Gavin Newsom warned that fires could occur costliest disaster in US history as he clashed with President-elect Donald Trump over the state’s response.
The cause of the fires has not yet been determined, but multiple lawsuits were filed Monday against utility Southern California Edison, alleging it failed to properly shut down power lines despite warnings, leading to the Eaton fire.
Shares of parent company Edison International fell 11.9 percent on Monday.
A spokesman for Southern California Edison said: “SCE understands that a lawsuit has been filed in connection with the Eaton fire, but the complaint has not yet been served,” adding that the company “will review the complaint as soon as possible.” “The cause of the fire remains under investigation.”
Insurance stocks also took a hit as expected losses increased. Wells Fargo analysts estimated that insurance losses could exceed $30 billion and potentially reach as much as $40 billion. On Friday, JPMorgan analysts had forecast an industrywide increase of $20 billion, a figure that would already have been the largest in the state’s history.
On Monday, Newsom said he is proposing $2.5 billion in additional emergency funding to help LA clean up, clean up and reopen schools. “California is organizing a Marshall Plan to help Los Angeles rebuild faster and stronger,” he said in a statement. The financing must be approved by the state parliament.
The largest of the eruptions, the Pacific Palisades The fire was only 14 percent contained late Monday evening, sparking fears that strong gusts in the coming days would derail progress in fighting the blaze.
The weather service warned that the “extreme fire threat” would continue through Wednesday and said the current alert category – a “red flag warning of particularly dangerous situations” – was reserved for “extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios.”
“In other words, this situation is as bad as it gets,” the NWS warned, warning that strong winds could lead to “explosive fire growth.”
The death toll stood at 24 on Monday, officials said, and was expected to rise as authorities combed through the rubble in search of missing people.
The disaster has spilled into the political arena, with Trump on Sunday attacking the state’s authorities for failing to stop the destruction. “The fires are still raging in LA. The incompetent Poles have no idea how to delete them,” he posted on his Truth Social network.
The new Republican president has filed charges CaliforniaWashington’s governor, a Democrat, is accusing the government of depleting water reserves to protect an endangered fish species and refusing to sign a “water restoration declaration.” Newsom’s office said there was no such explanation.
“I do not believe this misinformation and disinformation will benefit or benefit any of us,” Newsom told NBC Meet the press on Sunday, noting that he had invited the president-elect to visit the affected areas but had not yet received a response. “We would spend another month responding to Donald Trump’s insults.”
Meanwhile, city officials warned of price gougers who have increased rental property prices as thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes.
LAist, a local news site, found a Zillow listing for a furnished home in Bel Air that’s asking $29,500 a month — up 86 percent from September.
Cartography by Steven Bernard
