Fire Crews Hoping to Make Progress in California as Winds Ease

It was another windy day in parts of Southern California, making it more challenging for crews to make progress on the wildfires. While the winds are going to ease through the end of the week, forecasters are warning that another Santa Ana wind event could be lurking for next week. Here is the latest on this forecast and where things stand in getting the fires under control.

Latest on Wildfire Containment

Firefighters had their work cut out for them on Wednesday as winds continued to whip around the Los Angeles basin. As of the Wednesday Cal Fire update, the Palisades Fire was 19% contained after burning over 23,700 acres. The Eaton Fire was 45% contained after burning over 14,100 acres. The Hurst Fire was holding steady at just under 800 acres burned and 97% contained. The Auto Fire, the newest blaze that ignited on Monday, was 50% contained after burning through about 60 acres.

Cal Fire confirmed that the Eaton and Palisades fires are now distinguished as being the most destructive and second-most destructive in the history of Southern California. Over six million Californians remained under a critical fire threat throughout the day Wednesday.

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, the death toll still stands at 25. However, local officials expect this number to climb as cadaver dogs are able to reach the charred ruins and search for more victims.

Over 150 leads have been produced as investigators look to determine the cause of the fires. While Mother Nature certainly had something to do with the rapid expansion of the flames, investigators are looking into reports of potential arson. Officials are combing through evidence from Ring doorbell cameras to determine if anything nefarious was at play.

Calmer Winds Expected Through the End of the Week

The forecast of calmer winds through the end of the week is welcome news for the thousands of fire crews on the scene in Southern California. Thursday will bring a weather pattern that mitigates the threat of dry offshore winds, replacing it with a light flow of moisture coming in from the Pacific Ocean.

This calmer pattern is expected to stick around through the weekend, giving crews the chance to make greater progress in containing the fires that are still burning. Officials are cautiously optimistic that containment should increase significantly due to the lighter winds that are forecast to partner with higher humidity levels. In addition, some parts of the region may even see some times of drizzle in the late night or early morning hours. This moisture will take the edge off of the dry vegetation to provide a degree of relief.

That said, forecasters caution that the brush can dry out quickly in the afternoon hours as the moisture dissipates and the mercury rises. It does not take much wind to send the burning embers from existing fires into new areas, sparking the concern of additional fires breaking out.

Some parts of Ventura County may still see strong winds early Thursday before the conditions begin to ease late Thursday and into Friday. For instance, Valencia is forecast to see winds decrease from gusts of up to 50 mph on Wednesday to speeds of 10 to 15 mph on Thursday and Friday. Temperatures will drop from highs in the upper 60s on Thursday to readings that top out at about the 60-degree mark on Friday.