Millions in Southern California Under Critical Fire Threat, Agency Warns

A helicopter drops water on the Auto Fire in Ventura County, Calif., on Jan. 13, 2025. Noah Berger/AP Photo

Millions of people across Southern California were under red flag warnings, meaning that humidity is low and strong winds are expected on Wednesday amid wildfires that have charred thousands of acres across Los Angeles and have left more than two dozen people dead.

According to a map from the National Weather Service (NWS), red flag warnings were issued from the Central Coast down to just above California’s border with Mexico. That includes Los Angeles County.

“Critical fire weather conditions will continue across coastal southern California today but improvement expected toward end of week,” the NWS said in a bulletin, adding that there is an “extreme fire danger” for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties until at least Wednesday afternoon.

Winds are expected to reach 30 to 50 mph, with isolated gusts of 60 mph, across the mountainous areas, it said.

Across the region, it said, “wind gusts may not be as strong compared to Ventura and Los Angeles counties,” but it warned that the “potential for rapid fire growth and localized downed trees and power outages will still remain.”

Conditions will likely improve on Thursday during the day, it noted.

The Eaton Fire burning just north of Los Angeles and the Palisades Fire that destroyed much of the seaside Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades broke out on Jan. 7 in conditions similar to what’s expected on Wednesday. High winds last week pushed flames at remarkable speed and sometimes carried fire-sparking embers miles away.

More than 90,000 households were without electricity on Wednesday morning as utilities shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new blazes, officials said.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials who were criticized 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.”

The wildfires in the Los Angeles area have burned roughly 63 square miles and damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 structures, authorities have said.

The Eaton Fire, which devastated Altadena and the surrounding area, was 45 percent contained as of Wednesday morning. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said firefighters have also made some progress battling the larger Palisades fire, which is now about 19 percent contained.

The smaller Hurst Fire is now 97 percent contained after burning a little more than one square mile, Cal Fire said. The newest fire, known as the Auto Fire, in Ventura County, is 47 percent contained.

About 40,000 people have applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has already disbursed more than $8 million for immediate needs such as water, food, baby formula, and gas, an official said. The initial money goes directly into bank accounts, Regional FEMA Administrator Robert J. Fenton, Jr. said on Tuesday.

President Joe Biden said this week that people impacted by the California fires are eligible for a one-time $770 payment “so they can quickly purchase things like water, baby formula, and prescriptions.”

He said that “nearly 6,000 survivors have registered to do just that and $5.1 million has gone out.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.