Los Angeles wildfire toll rises to 24, firefighters brace for fiercer winds

After a weekend spent blocking the explosive growth of fires that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the Los Angeles area, firefighters got a slight break with calmer weather but cast a wary eye on a forecast for yet more wind.

Should that happen, already burned homes and valleys could flare anew, sending embers to unburned territory miles downwind. New fires could add to the complication.

The death toll surged late Sunday with an update from the Los Angeles County medical examiner. At least 16 people were missing, a number authorities said was also likely to rise.

The relative calm Sunday allowed some people to return to previously evacuated areas, however.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 50 mph and gusts in the mountains reaching 70 mph. The most dangerous day will be Tuesday, warned fire behaviour analyst Dennis Burns at a community meeting Sunday night.

“It will kind of ebb and flow over the next couple days,” Burns said. “Tomorrow night, it will really ramp up.”

Spotting — new fires caused by blowing embers — could happen as much as 3.2 km or more downwind of areas that have already burned, Burns said. Despite their recent losses, stress and uncertainty, the crowd in a Pasadena City College gym was mostly respectful, in contrast with harsh criticism elsewhere for Los Angeles and California leaders.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C Marrone said 70 additional water trucks arrived to help firefighters fend off flames spread by renewed gusts. Fire retardant dropped by aircraft will act as a barrier along hillsides, officials said.

Fierce Santa Ana winds have been largely blamed for turning the wildfires sparked last week into infernos that levelled entire neighbourhoods around the city where there has been no significant rainfall in more than eight months.