STORY: :: L.A.'s fire chief says 'significant'
winds could ignite new fires
:: January 14, 2025
:: Los Angeles, California
:: Kristin Crowley, Los Angeles City Fire Chief
"Life-threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here. For this significant wind event we are taking an aggressive, lean forward posture and the LAFD has staffed all available resources, strategically placing fire patrols and engines in the unimpacted, high fire risk areas in the city. We are carefully managing our operations to ensure that we can quickly respond to any new fires in addition to the increased call volume across the city of Los Angeles. I urge, and everybody here urges you to remain alert as danger has not yet passed. Please follow all evacuation warnings and orders without delay and prioritize your safety."
Los Angeles firefighters on Tuesday braced for the return of dry, intense winds that could recharge two monstrous wildfires that have already killed at least 24 people, leveled entire neighborhoods and scorched an area the size of Washington, D.C.
Much of Los Angeles and Ventura County could experience gusts of 50 to 70 mph from early Tuesday through Wednesday as dangerous Santa Ana winds picked up after relative calm since late last week, according to the National Weather Service.
The red flag warning, which the weather service designated as a rare "particularly dangerous situation," raised fears that new fires could ignite and existing blazes could reenergize.