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Parched southern California was forecast to face more dangerous winds on Wednesday but could get some needed rain this weekend, easing fears for another round of deadly wildfires while raising the possibility of challenges like toxic ash runoff.
Los Angeles officials were preparing for that prospect even as some residents were allowed to return to the devastated Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas. Firefighters extinguished small blazes that broke out during gusty weather expected to last through Thursday.
“We’re going to see another round of critical fire conditions across southern California,” Todd Hall, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said on Wednesday morning. “At this point, it sounds like a broken record.”
The Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, issued an executive order on Tuesday to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides, install barriers and reinforce roads ahead of the possible weekend rain, which could create mud and debris flows.
Experts have warned that toxic threats may lurk within the disaster areas. The ashes of homes and cars may contain remnants of a multitude of potentially hazardous materials, including lead, battery acid, arsenic and carcinogens found in plastic, used in their construction. Meanwhile, wildfires increase the risk of mudslides by making a landscape vulnerable to swift erosion in the event of a rainstorm, Joshua West, a professor of earth sciences at the University of Southern California, told the Guardian last week. In January 2018, for example, heavy storms hitting an area in Montecito that had burned in the weeks before triggered a mudslide that killed 23.
In an effort to prevent such disasters, Los Angeles county supervisors approved an emergency motion to install flood control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas.
A 60-80% chance of a small amount of rain was forecast for southern California starting on Saturday, with most areas unlikely to get more than a third of an inch (0.8cm), according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the weather service’s office for Los Angeles. However up to an inch could fall in localized thunderstorms, which would be a worst-case scenario if enough flows on scorched hillsides to trigger debris.
“But even if the rain doesn’t materialize this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that they’ll have to deal with for months or years,” Kittell said.
Fire crews were filling sandbags for communities.
Winds eased somewhat Tuesday afternoon after peaking at 60mph (97km/h) in many areas, but gusty conditions were expected to continue. Red flag warnings for critical fire risk were extended through 8pm Thursday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
“Our concern is the next fire, the next spark that causes the next wildfire,” said David Acuna, a spokesperson with the California department of forestry and fire protection, or Cal Fire. Another worry was that the two major blazes still burning, the Palisades and Eaton fires, could break their containment lines as firefighters continue to watch for hot spots.
Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft positioned strategically allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, officials said.
Evacuation orders were lifted on Tuesday for the Friars fire, which broke out near a San Diego mall, and partially for the Lilac fire, which burned through dry brush after threatening some structures, Cal Fire said. Nearby crews fully contained the Pala fire, another small blaze. The Clay fire in Riverside was 40% contained on Tuesday night and evacuation orders were lifted.
Southern California Edison on Tuesday pre-emptively shut off power to more than 60,000 customers in five counties to prevent new fires from being sparked by winds toppling electrical equipment; electricity was later restored to most. The utility was considering precautionary shutoffs for an additional 187,000 customers on Wednesday.
Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans, prepare emergency kits and be on the lookout for fires and report them quickly.
Bass also warned that winds could carry ash and advised Angelenos to visit the city’s website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during the latest Santa Ana wind event.
The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds came as firefighters continued to battle the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out on 7 January. Containment of the Palisades fire reached 68%, and the Eaton fire was at 91%.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the causes of the fires but has not released any findings.
Several lawsuits have been filed by people who lost their homes in the Eaton fire, alleging Southern California Edison equipment sparked the blaze. On Tuesday a judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the utility to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire started.
Questions are also emerging over why some residents of Altadena, where the majority of deaths were found, were late to receive evacuation warning.
Donald Trump, who criticized the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address on Monday, has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday.
