Today's Edition
Los Angeles (dpa)
Dangerous winds forecast to hit Los Angeles next week could rekindle the devastating fires that have wreaked havoc on the US West Coast for almost two weeks, meterologists said on Sunday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) Los Angeles predicted "damaging Santa Ana winds and extreme fire weather" to hit the city Monday through Tuesday, with windspeeds reaching up to 130 kmph.
It comes after firefighters reported good progress in their efforts to contain the Palisades and Eaton fires amid falling temperatures and subsiding winds over the weekend.
At least 27 people have been killed since the fires broke out on January 7, damaging or destroying more than 12,000 structures across different neighbourhoods. Several people are still missing.
The Eaton fire near Pasadena is currently 73% contained, while the Palisades fire on the western outskirts of Los Angeles has been 49% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Thousands of residents were allowed to return amid the improvement seen over the weekend, but a new call has been issued for people in the region to take precautions in case they have to evacuate again in light of the changing weather conditions.
The weather service has repeatedly warned that wind fanning the flames could lead to new fires caused by flying sparks.
Strong winds also make it impossible to extinguish the fires from the air. Very dry vegetation also favours the spread of existing and new fires.
