National Weather Service issues most dire warning as winds pick up in fire-scarred LA region

Federal meteorologists have issued their most dire wildfire warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties, as winds threaten to pick up in the early hours of Tuesday through Wednesday.

Alerting residents to a "particularly dangerous situation," the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Los Angeles branch described "extreme risk" and a need for "immediate action" in three expansive areas that straddle these counties.

"Heads up! Strong, locally damaging, NE/E winds will affect West LA Co. & much of Ventura Co thru Wednesday," the meteorologists warned. "Critical fire weather is expected, so PLEASE have multiple ways of getting notifications in case of new fires & prepare ahead of time."

This is the first time the NWS Los Angeles branch has issued its most severe warning during the current spate of wildfires, according to the Los Angeles Times.

As of Monday morning, three fires spanning 10 or more acres were burning — down from five on Friday — although many smaller blazes also dotted the broader Los Angeles metropolitan area.

The Palisades Fire, which has decimated the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, began on Tuesday morning and has now expanded to 23,713 acres. The blaze is only 14 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.
The Eaton Fire, burning north of Pasadena, began on Tuesday night and has ballooned to 14,117 acres, with 33 percent containment -- a big improvement from Friday’s 3 percent.
The 799-acre Hurst Fire, ablaze in the San Fernando Valley, also started on Tuesday night and is now at 95 percent containment.

Both the 395-acre Lidia Fire, in the Angeles National Forest, and the 1,052-acre Kenneth Fire, near the 101 Freeway in the West Hills region, were 100 percent contained by Monday.

In a Sunday webinar, UCLA climatologist Daniel Swain expressed concern "about the other fires that might break out in the region during the wind events later this week."

"Resources are drawn down," Swain said. "Some of those resources are exhausted human beings who are doing very hard work on the ground."

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