Latest Details on Containment of Southern California Wildfires

Fire crews made progress over the weekend containing the wildfires still burning in Southern California. However, forecasters are warning that another dangerous Santa Ana wind event is brewing for the region early this week. Read on for the latest coming out of Southern California.

Latest on California Wildfires

It was a good weekend for firefighters battling the two blazes still burning in the Los Angeles area. Calmer winds, higher humidity levels, and cooler temperatures helped to tame the flames and give crews a leg up on containment efforts. As of Sunday, the Palisades Fire was still at just over 23,000 acres. This fire burning near the coast between Malibu and Santa Monica is slightly over 50% contained.

Moving farther inland, the Eaton Fire is now over 81% contained after having burned over 14,000 acres. Altogether, the fires have burned more than 60 square miles. For context, this is about the size of the city of Pittsburgh.

The death toll still stands at 27 people. According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner, 11 of the fatalities happened in the Palisades Fire while 16 deaths were the result of the Eaton Fire. The number of missing people continues to fluctuate.

The fires are responsible for the destruction of over 12,000 structures. While the Eaton Fire has burned fewer acres than the Palisades Fire, the higher population density within the Eaton perimeter has contributed to the higher death toll and structure loss.

Preliminary estimates of the economic damages are coming in at between $250 billion and $275 billion. The area decimated by the Palisades Fire is one of the most expensive stretches of real estate in the U.S., adding to the overall economic loss.

What is Next in the Forecast

The assist from Mother Nature will not last long. The latest forecast models indicate that another round of winds will impact parts of Southern California beginning on Monday and lasting through Tuesday.

The increase in winds can be blamed on an area of high pressure that is building across the Rocky Mountain region. This high pressure will begin to rotate clockwise and fuel the development of powerful offshore winds throughout the southern part of the Golden State.

You can expect the Santa Ana winds to begin to whip up throughout the day Monday. Gusts could reach speeds of 80 mph at times. The highest winds are expected in the higher terrains surrounding the Los Angeles basin. Gusts of up to 60 mph are on tap for the zone from Ventura and down to San Diego counties.

The threat of high winds is likely to last through Tuesday with the gusts finally beginning to weaken during the evening hours. There is another chance of a weaker Santa Ana wind event firing up late Wednesday and into Thursday.

While the red flag warnings of last week have all expired, meteorologists are cautioning that some alerts may be issued heading into the start of the new work week. The risk of wildfires will remain elevated throughout the week thanks to the winds and the ongoing dry conditions. Any spark that starts a fire will be difficult to contain once the winds start up again.

Air quality conditions will also remain poor throughout Southern California. The new round of winds will pick up the debris and ash left behind by the activity of the last few weeks. This ash is packed with toxins and pollutants that pose a health risk. The risk is the highest in vulnerable populations, including the elderly, young children, and those with underlying medical conditions.

Although this is typically the wet season for California, the long-range forecast is not calling for much moisture in the region that has been impacted by the recent fires. The next chance of rain for Southern California will not happen until next weekend. However, this potential rain event is not likely to deliver meaningful amounts of moisture to the parched area.

The mercury is also forecast to begin to tick up in the days ahead. For example, after seeing readings top out in the 60s at the end of last week and into the early part of this week, Los Angeles is forecast to see a high of 75 degrees by Wednesday. The mercury will approach the 80-degree mark in the City of Angels on Thursday.

Along with the slight chance of rain next weekend, the temperatures will also slip a bit. Going back to Los Angeles, after seeing readings in the mid 70s on Friday, the Saturday forecast is predicting highs will struggle to hit the 60-degree mark. This cooler weather pattern will hang on through the middle of the following week.

This is usually the time of the year when California picks up the bulk of its moisture for the year. The last winter brought a parade of storms that helped to build the state's snowpack and fill its water reservoirs. As is the cyclical nature of the wet seasons, this year is shaping up to be drier than normal. This could mean an even worse wildfire season next summer and fall. Any bit of moisture will be welcome at this point across the state.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.