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For the latest on all the fires affecting Southern California visit Fire.ca.gov. For LA County visit LACounty.gov/emergency or LAFD.org/alerts. For safety tips and other information on how to prepare for emergencies and evacuations visit fire.lacounty.gov.
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Red flag warnings of critical fire danger will linger across much of the Southland for the rest of the work week, as Santa Ana winds slowly diminish but continue to blast the region at above-normal velocity and fuel fires that have burned thousands of acres, destroyed hundreds of structures and led to five deaths.
National Weather Service forecasters said that after an early "minor uptick" Thursday, the winds are expected to back down slightly during the day on Thursday, and "most areas should remain under advisory levels until Thursday evening when the next offshore push begins."
"But without the mountain wave activity this will be much more like a traditional (though still moderate to strong) event with gusts to 60 or locally higher across the mountains and up to 50 in the favored valleys," according to the NWS.
Forecasters said "winds will peak Thursday evening into early Friday morning, however, will not be as expansive nor as strong as this previous event. Humidity levels of 10 and 20 percent are expected, potentially lowering into single digits in some areas into Friday."
Red flag warnings that had been scheduled to expire Thursday night were instead extended through 6 p.m. Friday in the Santa Clarita Valley, Malibu Coast, Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Mountains, San Gabriel Valley and the Golden State (5) and Antelope Valley (14) freeway corridors.
A red flag warning in the Antelope Valley, Antelope Valley foothills, Palos Verdes Hills and Catalina Island expired at 6 p.m. Wednesday
The winds were fueling multiple brush fires in the L.A. area, the largest being a nearly 16,000-acre blaze in Pacific Palisades. Another massive brush fire in the Eaton Canyon area above Altadena claimed five lives, while other blazes raged in Sylmar and Acton, and another blaze erupted late Wednesday in the Hollywood Hills.
Hundreds of structures were damaged or destroyed in the blazes, with more than 1,000 structures believed to have been lost in the Palisades Fire, and another 1,000 in the Eaton Fire.
NWS forecasters said the windstorm was the worst to hit the region since 2011.
President Joe Biden approved a Major Disaster declaration for the state on Wednesday in response to the fires -- some of which he was able to witness first-hand while wrapping up a short visit to the L.A. area. He received a briefing from fire officials before he left the Southland Wednesday afternoon.
Biden canceled an upcoming trip to Italy so he could "remain focused on directing the full federal response in the days ahead," according to the White House.
On Tuesday night, a wind gust of 98 mph was reported in the Saddle Peak area of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, NWS officials said. A 97 mph gust was recorded in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains. Several other mountain areas recorded winds topping 80 mph.
In Orange County, a red flag warning that had been in place for coastal areas was canceled Wednesday afternoon as winds eased. But a red flag warning will be in place until 6 p.m. Friday in the Santa Ana Mountains and Orange County inland areas.
The dangerous winds prompted closure of the Los Angeles Zoo to the public on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it will remain shuttered on Thursday.
Universal Studios Hollywood and the adjoining Universal CityWalk will be closed for the second consecutive day Thursday.
All Los Angeles Unified School District schools will be closed Thursday, along with a host of area districts. Some districts have already announced that classes will be canceled through Friday.
UCLA canceled all undergraduate classes for Thursday and Friday, and moved all graduate courses online.
NWS officials warned residents to be prepared for the possibility of downed trees and power poles and hazardous driving conditions, particularly for big rigs and other high-profile vehicles. The winds could also result in air travel delays and turbulence.
Forecasters also advised residents to stay away from windows and trees once the winds start, park cars away from trees, and to prepare for possible power outages by charging all electronic devices ahead of time and ensure generators are prepared.
As is standard during high-fire-danger conditions, Southern California Edison customers in some areas could have their power turned off under the utility's Public Safety Power Shutoffs program. The program is designed to de- energize power lines that could potentially be damaged and spark a wildfire during red flag conditions.
As of early Wednesday evening, more than 42,000 SCE customers in Los Angeles County had their power cut due to the program, along with more than 2,000 in Orange County. Another 121,000 customers in Los Angeles County were under consideration for power cuts, along with nearly more than 31,000 in Orange County.
Updated information about power cuts is available at www.sce.com/outage-center/outage-information/psps.
The city of Los Angeles imposed red flag parking restrictions at 8 a.m. Tuesday, continuing until further notice, likely for the duration of the wind event. The restrictions are designed to keep streets clear for emergency vehicles that may need to quickly access developing wildfires, and to ensure open roadways for residents who may need to evacuate. Pasadena city officials implemented similar parking restrictions.