Powerful winds threaten to worsen the situation in Los Angeles where the raging wildfires have claimed at least 25 lives and destroyed hundreds of luxury mansions belonging to millionaires and Hollywood stars.

Millions of Southern Californians faced new wildfire warnings on Tuesday (January 14, 2025), and tens of thousands saw their power shut off as strong winds blew across the parched landscape around Los Angeles where two massive blazes have been burning for a week.

Santa Ana winds that began gusting over the mountains before sunrise were forecast to continue until Wednesday (January 15, 2025) morning with enough force to carry fire-sparking embers for miles and stoke new outbreaks in a region where at least 25 people have already been killed.

“Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already in Los Angeles,” LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told a news conference.

Much of Southern California was under elevated fire risk, with crews on high alert from the Mexican border to Central California, far north of Los Angeles.

Nearly 90,000 households lost electricity as utilities shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new blazes.

In pictures | Los Angeles wildfires and harrowing escapes

Weary and anxious residents were told to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the skies and on each other: Police announced roughly 50 arrests, for looting, flying drones in fire zones, violating curfew and other crimes.

“Of those, three people were arrested on suspicion of arson after being seen setting small fires that were immediately extinguished,” LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. “One was using a barbecue lighter, another ignited brush and a third tried to light up a trash can,” he said. All were far outside the disaster zones. Authorities have not determined a cause for any of the major fires.

“Among nine people charged with looting was a group that stole an Emmy from an evacuated house,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.

The biggest worry remained the threat from intense winds predicted to reach nearly hurricane force on Tuesday (January 14, 2025) in some areas. Now backed by firefighters from other states, Canada and Mexico, crews were deployed to attack flareups or new blazes. The firefighting force was much bigger than a week ago, when the first wave of fires began destroying thousands of homes in what could become the nation’s costliest fire disaster.

Kaylin Johnson and her family planned to spend the night at their home, one of the few left standing in her neighborhood in Altadena, near Pasadena. They intended to keep watch to ward off looting and to hose down the house and her neighbors’ properties to prevent flareups.

“Our lives have been put on hold indefinitely,” Johnson said via text message, adding that they cannot freely come and go because of restrictions on entering the burn areas. “But I would rather be here and not leave than to not be allowed back at all.”

Tuesday’s (January 14, 2025) forecast included a rare warning: The winds, combined with severely dry conditions, have created a “ Particularly Dangerous Situation,” the National Weather service said, meaning that any new fire could explode in size.

“Gusts were forecast to pick up strength in the evening and into Wednesday (January 15, 2025) before decreasing, and red-flag warnings from Central California to the Mexican border were to remain through most of Wednesday (January 15, 2025),” weather service meteorologist Ariel Cohen said.

Residents said they were ready to make a hasty escape.

Javier Vega, who said he feels like he has been “sleeping with one eye open,” and his girlfriend have planned out how they can quickly pack up their two cats, eight fish and leopard gecko if they get orders to evacuate.

“Typically on any other night, hearing helicopters flying overhead from midnight to 4 a.m., that would drive anyone crazy,” Vega said. But figuring they were helping firefighters to keep the flames from threatening their neighborhood, he explained, “it was actually soothing for me to go to sleep.”

Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines deployed to particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials who were criticised over their initial response expressed confidence that the region is ready to face the new threat. The mayor said she was able to fly over the disaster areas, which she described as resembling the aftermath of a “dry hurricane.”

Winds this time were not expected to reach the same fierce speeds seen last week but could ground firefighting aircraft, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said. He warned that if winds reach 70 mph (112 kph), “it’s going to be very difficult to contain that fire.”

He urged homeless people to avoid starting fires for warmth and to seek shelter.

With almost no rain in more than eight months, the brush-filled region has had more than a dozen wildfires this year, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area.

Firefighters have been jumping on small blazes that pop up. One, in a dry riverbed near Oxnard Monday (January 13, 2025) night, was quickly smothered. “We’ve got helicopters ready to go, to drop water on any new fires,” said Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department.

The four largest fires around the nation’s second-biggest city have scorched more than 63 square miles (163 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan. Of these, the Eaton Fire near Pasadena was roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze, in Pacific Palisades on the coast, was far less contained.

The death toll is likely to rise, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. At least two dozen people were still missing, he said Tuesday (January 14, 2025). Some people reported as missing earlier have been found.

Just under 90,000 people in the county remained under evacuation orders, half the number from last week.

Hollywood’s awards season has been put on hiatus because of the crisis. The Oscar nominations have been delayed twice, and some organisations postponed their awards shows and announcements without rescheduling.

At least 24 people have now been confirmed dead due to massive wildfires around Los Angeles with California Governor Gavin Newsom saying it could be the most devastating natural disaster in US history, which has also destroyed thousands of homes.

Los Angeles:

Health bosses warned people living in Los Angeles on Saturday to stay indoors because of dangerous wildfire smoke wreathing the area. Monster blazes tearing through America’s second-largest city are pumping toxic clouds into the air, blanketing a vast region with choking fumes.

“We are all experiencing this wildfire smoke, which is a mix of small particles, gasses, and water vapors,” Anish Mahajan of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health told a press conference.

Read: LA Wildfires To Be Costliest US Disaster, To Inflict $135 Billion In Losses

“It’s those small particles that get into our noses and throats and cause those sore throats and headaches. Everyone in the areas where there’s visible smoke or the smell of smoke, and even where you don’t see that, we know that the air quality is poor, so you should limit outdoor exposure as much as possible.”

Mr Mahajan said even healthy individuals should stay inside as much as possible, using some kind of air filtration system.

People who have to work outside should wear an N95 mask, which filters out small particles to stop them entering the body. But the young, the old and the sick should be especially careful at this time.

Read: “Miracles Never Cease”: Man On How His Los Angeles Mansion Survived Fire

“Those who are at higher risk for bad health effects… children, the elderly, those with respiratory and heart conditions, and people with immunocompromised states, they may have worse symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing, cough and chest pain,” he said.

Multiple fires that have erupted around Los Angeles have laid waste to vast areas, reducing homes, businesses, cars, and vegetation to ash. That means plastics, chemicals, fuel, and building materials all went up in smoke, and now hang in the air across a densely populated region.

On Friday, Los Angeles County declared a public health emergency because of the smoke, and banned the use of machines like leaf blowers that can whip up dangerous ashes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The devastating Los Angeles wildfires are poised to become one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, with estimated losses already surpassing $135 billion. According to a preliminary estimate by private forecaster AccuWeather, the total losses could reach as high as $150 billion, making it one of the most expensive wildfires the country has ever seen, BBC has reported.

“These fast-moving, wind-driven infernos have created one of the costliest wildfire disasters in modern US history,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. The sheer scale of the destruction is staggering, with over 5,300 structures destroyed by the Palisades blaze and more than 5,000 structures destroyed by the Eaton Fire.

The insurance industry is bracing for a significant hit, with analysts from firms such as Morningstar and JP Morgan forecasting insured losses of over $8 billion. This could exacerbate the existing challenges faced by the industry, which has been struggling to cope with the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters. As the full extent of the damage becomes clear, insurers will be forced to reevaluate their risk assessments and pricing strategies, potentially leading to higher premiums and reduced coverage options for homeowners in high-risk areas.

As a result, many people are turning to state government-backed insurance plans, which are often more expensive and offer less protection. In California, the number of policies offered through the state’s Fair plan has more than doubled since 2020, from around 200,000 to over 450,000 in September last year. Areas hit by the fires have seen some of the highest take-up rates, according to data from the program.

The long-term effects of the wildfires will be significant, with potential damage to property values, strain on public finances, and impacts on health and tourism. Denise Rappmund, a senior analyst at Moody’s Ratings, warned that the fires would have “widespread, negative impacts for the state’s broader insurance market.” She added that “increased recovery costs will likely drive up premiums and may reduce property insurance availability.”

The 2018 Camp fire in northern California currently holds the record for the highest insured costs, at around $12.5 billion. However, the Los Angeles wildfires are likely to surpass this total, given the high property values in the affected areas. Aon, a leading insurance company, has already indicated that this disaster is likely to rank among the top five costliest wildfires in US history.

However, the US and California government estimates on the damage are yet to be announced.
 

Aerial views of Los Angeles ravaged by fires

| Video Credit:
The Hindu

The massive wildfires in California engulfed whole neighbourhoods in Los Angeles, the second-largest city in USA. At least ten people have been killed, and thousands displaced.

Officials have placed the origin of the wind-whipped blaze behind a home on Piedra Morada Drive, which sits above a densely wooded arroyo. Multi-million dollar mansions have vanished entirely.

The biggest of the multiple blazes has ripped through almost 20,000 acres of the upscale Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, while another fire around Altadena has torched 13,700 acres.

Residents of Altadena who recalled the horrors, likened it to the apocalypse.

Read more: Los Angeles fire deaths at 10 as National Guard called in

Video: AFPTV