Officials were bracing for winds to pick up overnight in the Los Angeles area, likely fanning the Palisades fire and creating conditions for other wildfires to spread across Southern California.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said that some of the strongest winds were expected in Southern California between 10 p.m. local time through 5 a.m. on Wednesday.
“By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods,” Governor Newsom said.
The fire, which had already affected about 1,200 acres, more than doubled in size to 2,900 acres in a matter of hours by Tuesday evening, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The National Weather Service office that serves the Los Angeles area said that it had received dozens of reports of strong winds across Southern California, including some wind gusts that were greater than 70 miles per hour. Forecasters warned that the winds could be even stronger overnight.
The Los Angeles Fire Department asked its employees on Tuesday evening to check in and report whether they were available. At least 200 firefighters worked throughout the day to contain the Palisades fire.
Officials also warned that in addition to fueling wildfires, the winds could also ground helicopters and other aircraft that were being used to help contain the fire with retardant from above and provide aerial reconnaissance.
By 7 p.m. local time, concerns about having to ground aircraft had already been realized. Aircraft that were being used to put out the Palisades fire were temporarily grounded as winds picked up in the Los Angeles area, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Officials were monitoring conditions to see when aircraft could resume operations.
Earlier in the afternoon, Chief Anthony Marrone of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said at the news conference that lower temperatures overnight could help.
“But with increased wind speed, aerial firefighting becomes more dangerous,” Chief Marrone said. “If the winds are going to get worse right now, it’s going to be very difficult for our aerial assets to actually make a difference for the folks on the ground.”
As the news conference ended, Chief Kristin Crowley of the Los Angeles Fire Department urged residents in the area to be prepared in case they were ordered to evacuate later on Tuesday.
Chief Crowley said that the wind conditions were dynamic and that they could “quickly change on a dime.”
