What you need to know
Parts of Los Angeles County are under a red flag warning until Friday morning, and Southern California is under a red flag warning for 15 of the first 23 days of January. Some red flag alerts included “particularly dangerous situation” alerts, which indicate a fire risk beyond a normal red flag alert. January includes consecutive Red Flag days from January 6th to January 16th. The Palisades and Eaton fires, two of California’s deadliest and most destructive fires on record, broke out during those 11 days and spread quickly. The Palisades Fire on the Los Angeles County Coast is 72 percent contained at 23,400 acres. The Eaton Fire in the Altadena area is 95 percent contained at 14,000 acres.
In Los Angeles County, a red flag warning issued for parts of the area earlier this week has been extended through Friday, with firefighters ramping up their efforts to fight three large fires.
So far in January, predictions of high fire risk have been a recurring theme. Los Angeles County was under a red flag warning for 15 days as of the 23rd of this month.
As of January 23, 2025, Red Flag Warnings have been in effect for 15 of the 23 days in January in Southern California.
This included multiple consecutive days of red flag warnings from January 6th to January 16th, including the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires, the rapidly progressing Hughes Fire in Castaic, and provided little relief to firefighters who have been battling numerous other small fires that have prevented them from gaining access. Structures and Neighborhoods. The Palisades Fire broke out in Pacific Palisades on the morning of January 7th, followed hours later by the Eaton Fire in the Altadena area during the Santa Ana storm, which firefighters said was one of the worst they had ever seen. said.
“It’s another beautiful day today,” said NBC4 Meteorologist Belen de Leon. “Winds will pick up during the day, creating a significant fire risk.”
Some red flag warning days included “particularly hazardous conditions” warnings, or National Weather Service alerts, indicating heightened red flag conditions. On January 7, the area was under a PDS warning, but winds of about 130 miles per hour sparked the Palisades Fire, one of California’s deadliest and most destructive fires on record. and the embers of the Eaton fire were thrown in.
The two fires left 28 people dead and destroyed thousands of structures, including homes and shops.
This week’s red flag warning went into effect Monday but is set to expire at 10 a.m. Friday. Temperatures are expected to drop significantly over the weekend, with a strong chance of rain.
PDS stands for National Weather Service and stands for “particularly hazardous conditions.” Learn how and why it is used.
In addition to Santa Ana’s powerful winds, another reason for the warning is Southern California’s lack of rainfall during what is typically the wettest time of the year.
After the dry season turned into the rainy season in Southern California, the region is experiencing a severe drought. After two seasons of above-average rainfall, months of drought left hillsides covered in dry brush that provided fuel for wildfires.
When a red flag warning is in effect, if a fire breaks out, it is likely to spread quickly due to strong winds. Flying embers also speed the spread of brush fires. Powerful wind gusts can scatter hot embers for miles and ignite them before the main fire lines, a nightmare scenario for firefighters.
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