LA Fires: 'Extremely Critical Fire Weather' Forecast For Southern California

Fires across the Los Angeles area have killed at least 24 people, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and scorched more than 60 square miles. The largest by far — the Palisades and Eaton wildfires — continue to burn in Southern California, officials said.

Forecasters posted "particularly dangerous situation" red flag winds warnings for Tuesday morning local time through noon Wednesday as winds are expected to pick up. "Extremely critical fire weather" is forecast for parts of the region, and officials said the worst winds are expected late Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday.

Officials said 88,000 people in Los Angeles County were under evacuation orders as of Tuesday morning. Curfews are in effect for the Palisades and Eaton fire zones from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

1,200 housing units to become available for displaced people, mayor says

There are 1,200 housing units that Los Angeles will make available to people displaced by the wildfires, Mayor Karen Bass said Tuesday. The move is part of an executive order Bass signed Monday to expedite the recovery process for the city.

"It turns out that we had 1,200 units of housing that was ready to be occupied, but was stuck in the bureaucracy," Bass told reporters at a news briefing. "So one of the things that my executive directive does is gets that online, so hopefully we should have 1,200 units of housing available in the next week or so."

Concerns over housing have spiked as wildfires continue to burn for a second week. Officials said 88,000 residents of L.A. County remain under mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday, and at least 12,000 structures, including homes, were destroyed.

California officials deny false claims Oregon fire trucks were turned away

California officials have denied claims spread by right-wing influencers on social media that Oregon fire trucks were turned away because of emissions regulations. In fact, they say, the trucks were briefly stopped for routine safety checks before they traveled to the fires.

Some 40,000 people apply for FEMA assistance

Some 40,000 people have already applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has provided over $8 million so far for immediate needs, said Robert J. Fenton, Jr., regional administrator for FEMA Region 9.

But Fenton said at a news conference Tuesday that everyone will need to file insurance claims. FEMA aid is designed to help with unmet needs — after insurance claims are paid.

Fenton said the maximum amount of aid FEMA can provide is $43,600.

President Biden has said the federal government would pay 100% of the firefighting and recovery costs in the first 180 days, but Fenton noted that doesn't mean FEMA will cover 100% of individual families' costs.

Winds forecast to reach near hurricane-force in some areas

Winds in Southern California are predicted to reach near hurricane-force in some areas. They were expected to peak Tuesday morning before easing and then regaining strength later in the day.

"Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here," LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said Tuesday morning at a news conference.

A beefed-up firefighting force was in place to attack flareups or new blazes, as Southern California residents faced new warnings and power shutoffs while they prepared to flee at a moment's notice.

More than 75,000 households, mostly in Los Angeles County, were without electricity Tuesday morning in the blustery conditions, according to Southern California Edison, which shut off power in areas of high risk to prevent their lines from sparking new fires.

Santa Ana winds gusted up to 50 mph before sunrise in the mountains around L.A., said meteorologist Todd Hall of the National Weather Service. Strong winds were expected to continue through midday Wednesday and could carry embers miles ahead of the fire lines or trigger fire tornadoes, he said. 

Program launched for people who lost access to medication

The Los Angeles County Public Health Department has established medication assistance sites, which open today, at all operating disaster recovery centers. Four or five nurses, one physician and a team of paramedics are assigned to each site to help L.A. residents and families with health and medical needs, including clinical referrals and access to medications lost in the fires.

Anish Mahajan, the deputy director of the health department, said people can turn to these sites for prescriptions if they are unable to connect with their usual providers. The health department has also set up a consultation line for anyone seeking medication treatment for opioid addictions.