 "What’s behind the fast-moving wildfires scorching homes and cars in wealthy Los Angeles?")
On Tuesday, a massive wildfire that was fuelled by strong winds tore over a hillside in Los Angeles that was home to several celebrities.
The fast-moving wildfire has forced tens of thousands of nearby people to evacuate as it burns homes in the Pacific Palisades.
According to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Erik Scott, the fire was initially reported as a vegetation fire at 10.30 am, but by the next hour, strong winds had caused it to grow 200 acres, as reported by NewsNation.
This came just after the National Weather Service warned that the Santa Ana windstorm, the strongest to hit Southern California in almost a decade, may be “life-threatening.”
Santa Anas are not new in the region, especially during cooler months.
Here’s a look at the often-fierce winds that topple power lines and trees and can turn a spark into a raging wildfire.
Santa Anas winds
The dry, warm, and strong northeast winds known as “Santa Anas” originate in Southern California’s interior and move toward the coast and beyond. They go against the direction of the typical onshore flow that brings humid air into the area from the Pacific.
The term is associated with Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County and is also known as “devil winds.”
Santa Anas are produced by high pressure over the Great Basin, which is the enormous, multi-state desert interior of the West.
After losing moisture, the sinking air moves clockwise toward South California, where it must pass over the tall mountain ranges separating the urban area along the coast from the desert.
The air speeds up as it squeezes down canyons and mountain passes, getting warmer and dryer as it falls, much like a slow-moving river that abruptly narrows and becomes rapids.
Santa Ana winds have the power to remove urban pollutants and produce sparkling vistas. At the same time, the extreme lack of moisture also dries out the skin, lips, noses, and throats.
Also read: California firefighters battle three-alarm bushfire in Malibu, thousands face power outage
Wildfire danger
During a Santa Ana wind, humidity levels frequently drop to single-digit percentages.
Both living and dead vegetation become severely dry and more flammable because of the air’s acute lack of humidity.
Any spark, such as a fallen power line, can be stoked by extremely high wind speeds and quickly grow into an inferno.
Some of Southern California’s worst wildfires have been caused by Santa Anas.
Also read: California wildfires rage: What’s fuelling the flames of 2024’s largest forest fire in US?
Los Angeles wildfire
The Pacific Palisades fire quickly consumed about 3,000 acres of land in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood in western Los Angeles, sending up a dramatic plume of smoke visible across the city.
According to the fire department, the fire is burning through about five football fields every minute in Southern California.
The Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, which borders Malibu about 32 kilometres west of downtown LA, includes hillside streets of tightly packed homes along winding roads nestled against the Santa Monica Mountains and stretches down to beaches along the Pacific Ocean.
While the exact number of structures damaged or destroyed isn’t clear, the officials said about 30,000 residents from 10,000 households were under evacuation orders and more than 13,000 structures were under threat. According to CNN, authorities were working to set up mass care and sheltering for evacuees.
No injuries have been reported due to the fire, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Chief Kristin Crowley confirmed at a media conference.
Only about 40 kilometres northeast in Altadena, another fire spread to more than 200 acres (81 hectares) by Tuesday evening, prompting evacuation orders, the Angeles National Forest posted on X.
Roads became jammed in the frantic rush to reach safety, and many people abandoned their cars and fled on foot, some carrying suitcases. To facilitate evacuation efforts, all non-essential traffic was prohibited from using portions of Interstate 10 and the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway.
The traffic jam on Palisades Drive prevented emergency vehicles from getting through and a bulldozer was brought in to push the abandoned cars to the side and create a path, according to the LA Fire Department.
There are 250 LAFD firefighters on scene, including 46 engines, three trucks, and five helicopters, officials said.
As of Tuesday evening, 28,300 households were without power due to the strong winds, according to the mayor’s office. About 15,000 utility customers in Southern California had their power shut off to reduce the risk of equipment sparking a blaze. A half a million customers total were at risk of losing power preemptively.
Some trees and vegetation on the grounds of the Getty Villa were burned by late Tuesday, but staff and the museum collection remain safe, Getty President Katherine Fleming said in a statement.
Several school districts, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, are temporarily relocating students due to the fire.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided two grants to help reimburse California for the firefighting cost.
Also read: Hawaii wildfires: What is the environmental impact of deadly blaze?
The worst is yet to come
Winds were predicted to pick up speed overnight and last for days, with isolated gusts reaching up to 160 kilometres per hour in foothills and mountains, including places that have not seen rainfall in months.
“By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods," California Governor Gavin Newsom warned residents, saying the worst of the winds are expected between 10 pm Tuesday and 5 am Wednesday.
He declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.
President Joe Biden said that he is being “frequently briefed” on the wildfires and the White House “will do everything it can to support the response.”
“My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire. Earlier tonight, FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support areas that are impacted and help reimburse the state of California for the immediate firefighting costs. My administration will do everything it can to support the response,” Biden said in a statement on Tuesday.
“I urge the residents of the Pacific Palisades and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles to stay vigilant and listen to local officials,” he continued.
With inputs from The Associated Press
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