Southern California wildfires due to worst wind storms in 10 years

Southern California wildfires due to worst wind storms in 10 years

Wildfires broke out in Southern California on Tuesday morning as a life-threatening and widespread wind storm that could be one of the most destructive in over a decade begins raging, creating extremely dangerous weather conditions for fires.

Current developments on the forest fires

• Schnell wachsendes Feuer bedroht Evakuierungen: Das Palisades-Feuer hat sich auf 200 Acres in der Nähe des Pacific Palisades-Viertels in Los Angeles ausgeweitet, womit Strukturen in Gefahr sind, so die Feuerwehr von Los Angeles. Zwangsevakuierungen wurden für große Gebiete des Küstenviertels angeordnet, einschließlich Teilen der ikonischen Pacific Coast Highway. Berichte zeigen, wie Flammen auf Strukturen zukriechen und Rauch die Luft in der Gegend überdeckt. Das Westwood Recreation Center fungiert als Evakuierungszentrum.
• Feuer in den Hollywood Hills: Ein kleineres Feuer brach zeitgleich in der Nähe des Sunset Boulevards im Hollywood Hills-Viertel von Los Angeles County aus, berichtete die Feuerwehr von Los Angeles.
• Seltene Warnung: Los Angeles und Ventura Counties sind unter einer seltenen Rotflaggwarnung für eine „besonders gefährliche Situation“, die vom National Weather Service ausgesprochen wurde. Diese Warnung gilt bis Mittwoch und weist auf ein hohes Risiko für gefährliche Wetterbedingungen hin. „Weltweit verbreitete schädliche Winde und niedrige Luftfeuchtigkeit werden wahrscheinlich dazu führen, dass Feuer schnell wächst und sich extrem verhält“, warnte der NWS.
• Hunderttausende könnten ohne Strom sein: Stromabschaltungen sind möglich, da die Energieversorger in Südkalifornien versuchen, Brände durch beschädigte Infrastruktur zu verhindern. Über 400.000 von Southern California Edison’s 5 Millionen Kunden könnten in den kommenden Tagen von Stromausfällen betroffen sein, wie auf der Website des Unternehmens zu lesen ist. Website.

Destructive wind storm fuels fire danger

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Los Angeles used the harshest words to describe the wind storm that has fueled the fire threat. The "life-threatening" wind storm "is likely to be the most destructive" since a 2011 event that "caused significant damage to the Pasadena region and surrounding foothills of the San Gabriel Valley," the weather service warned.

The 2011 wind storm caused hundreds of trees to fall and cause power outages for several days, as the seasonally strong Santa Ana winds penetrated into more populated and lower areas normally protected by it.

This could also happen again in this event. Many areas in Los Angeles and eastern Ventura Counties, including portions of the Los Angeles Basin and the San Gabriel Valley, are at risk of damaging hurricane-force wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph Tuesday afternoon and into the early hours of Wednesday. Gusts of 80 to 100 mph are likely at higher elevations.

Winds will increase to “hazardous levels” beginning Tuesday afternoon, according to the NWS. High wind warnings are in effect for much of Southern California through at least Wednesday. The strong winds are expected to cause widespread tree falling as well as massive power outages.

Additionally, winds are strong enough to down power lines, which could cause fires. Any fire that breaks out during this time could quickly develop into an uncontrollable inferno.

Increased fire risk due to extreme drought

Extreme dryness during a period that is typically the wettest of the year also contributes to the fire risk. Southern California has become increasingly parched since late summer after fall and winter storms hit the Pacific Northwest.

Although last winter brought abundant precipitation and snow across the Southwest, this winter the weather pendulum has once again moved in the opposite direction — a phenomenon that is becoming more common as the planet warms and weather conditions move more quickly from one extreme to the other.

Drought in much of Southern California increased to moderate levels in late December, including most of Los Angeles County, which had been drought-free since March 2023. The vegetation in the region is drier than usual and more susceptible to fires, according to the national Interagency Fire Center.