California firefighters battle wildfires as forecasters warn of dangerous winds

Warnings were in place again Wednesday in the Los Angeles area for the prospect of strong winds combining with dry conditions to spread wildfires as firefighters battled a series of blazes in the region that have already killed at least 25 people.

After winds were weaker than expected during the day Tuesday, the National Weather Service said the region was “not out of the woods yet,” with the potential for a surge in winds through early Wednesday afternoon.

Utility companies shut off power to more than 77,000 households to prevent their power lines from sparking new blazes.

The winds threatened to undermine incremental gains that firefighters have made in recent days as they try to control two main fires that have been burning since last week, as well as a smaller fire that sparked Monday.

The California Department of Foresty and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said the Palisades Fire on the western side of Los Angeles had burned 96 square kilometers and was 18% contained as of early Wednesday.

The Eaton Fire in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains on the east side of the city was 35% contained and has burned 57 square kilometers, Cal Fire said.

About 88,000 people remained under evacuation orders with another nearly 85,000 being warned they might be ordered to evacuate. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna encouraged people to consider leaving when they get a warning without waiting for an order. He said deputies have had to rescue many people who waited until the last minute after receiving orders.

Authorities said nearly 30 people remain missing, and that the death toll was likely to rise as search crews gain access to areas that have already burned.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told reporters she took an aerial tour of the affected areas on Monday.

“The massive, massive destruction is unimaginable until you actually see it,” Bass said.

Some information for this report is from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.