Millions of people across Southern California are under a Red Flag warning as a dangerous windstorm starting Tuesday could bring widespread destruction and extreme fire risk to the area, with emergency services braced to provide a huge response.
A "Particularly Dangerous Situation" (PDS) Red Flag warning has been issued for 19 million people in the region, including the Los Angeles metropolitan area. This class of warning is used "in rare situations when long-lived, strong and violent tornadoes are possible," according to the National Weather Service.
The last time it was issued was during the Franklin Fire, which burned over 4,000 acres in Malibu last month.
The National Weather Service issued a critical fire risk alert for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, with the storm beginning on Tuesday afternoon and peaking early Wednesday. Winds will be above 60 mph and gusts could reach 80 to 100 mph in mountains and foothills. The fire threat is expected to stick around through Friday.
Warm and dry Santa Ana winds and very low humidity have created the perfect conditions for spreading fire, triggering repeated red flag fire warnings, and authorities are taking no chances.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday he would preemptively mobilize state resources to tackle the storm, including assigning 65 fire engines, seven water tenders, seven helicopters and 109 specialized workers.
“We are no strangers to winter-time wildfire threats, so I ask all Californians to pay attention to local authorities and be prepared to evacuate if told to go,” Newsom said.
On Tuesday morning, the Palisades Fire ignited in Los Angeles southeast of Palisades Drive, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire). It has burned 10 acres so far and its cause is under investigation.
And a brush fire is burning in the Hollywood Hills, prompting firefighters to protect buildings in the area, NBC Los Angeles reported.
These could be some of the worst fire conditions the region has seen in years in terms of the wind forecast combined with the exceptionally dry conditions.
The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles issued a stark warning: "Strong winds are coming. This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation — in other words, this is about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather," the service said.
The weather service urged people not just to stay inside, but to stay away from windows during the storm.
The City of Los Angeles warned residents of a "destructive, widespread, and potentially life-threatening windstorm" that will likely down trees and sever power connections. Fire-prone areas should be ready to evacuate, including the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood Hills.
"We really haven’t seen a season as dry as this one follow a season as wet as the previous one," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California, Los Angeles, told a livestream Monday.
"All of that extra abundant growth of grass and vegetation followed immediately by a wind event of this magnitude while it’s still so incredibly dry," he said.
Energy company San Diego Gas & Energy said it could turn off the power to almost 65,000 customers as a precaution.
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced that all schools in Malibu will be closed Tuesday "due to worsening weather conditions and safety concerns."
The Los Angeles Unified School District said it will limit outdoor activities for students at schools that are expected to be impacted by high winds.
https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/california-windstorm-fire-risk-rcna186525
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