LOS ANGELES — The Santa Ana winds will persist in Southern California until Thursday, raising concerns that the progress made in battling wildfires that have burned more than 40,000 acres and resulted in 28 fatalities could be undone, potentially leading to the ignition of additional fires.
Over 10 million individuals in various parts of Southern California are currently under red flag warnings until Thursday, facing strong winds and extremely dry conditions. This is despite the expiration on Tuesday of the “Particularly Dangerous Situation” alerts issued by the National Weather Service for areas in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
The red flag warnings will be in place until 8 p.m. Thursday, with winds of 30 to 50 mph possible, along with isolated gusts of up to 65 mph.
The winds on Tuesday contributed to the initiation of new wildfires in San Diego County. However, the fire activity has notably diminished in the 85-acre Lilac Fire, which is now 50% contained as reported by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Pala Fire was stopped at 17 acres, authorities reported Tuesday, and evacuation orders were lifted, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said.
Another wildfire briefly broke out near the famed Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles on Monday, but firefighters quickly put it out, with no damage to nearby structures.
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Small fires in the Granada Hills and Tujunga neighborhoods of Los Angeles were stopped before any homes were damaged or destroyed, and no evacuation orders were issued, LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley said Tuesday.
The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County, which has burned 23,713 acres, was 63% contained, and LA’s Eaton Fire was 89% contained at 14,021 acres as of Tuesday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
Since the latest wind event began, hurricane-force gusts of 74 mph or more have roared over the region’s mountains and valleys.
Sill Hill, in the San Diego County Mountains, saw 102 mph gusts and Magic Mountain in Angeles National Forest, in the San Gabriel Mountains, had 88 mph gusts.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a windblown dust and ash advisory through Tuesday at 10 p.m. PT due to the strong winds and the particles left behind by the fires potentially impacting air quality throughout the county.
Los Angeles bracing once again
Firefighting teams pre-deployed in anticipation of the high winds and greater fire risk, officials said.
The Los Angeles Fire Department “has deployed all available resources and strategically positioned fire patrols and fire engines in the high-risk areas across the city of Los Angeles … we are also strategically managing our emergency operations to ensure a rapid response to all new fires,” Crowley said.
Additionally, firefighting teams from around the region have also pre-positioned fire engines and firefighting aircraft across Southern California, according to Crowley.
The Los Angeles Police Department has completed an “exhaustive” search for any missing persons or people who died within the Palisades Fire burn area within the city of Los Angeles, Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said Tuesday.
Police have also established a staging area for residents of one Palisades neighborhood to be escorted safely to their properties and are working on offering more escorts as additional burn zones are deemed safe and stable enough.
“All of our unified commanders are doing everything they can to allow safe access to the residents in this community as soon as they can. And I thank all of you for your patience,” Choi said.
Residents at the staging area must provide identification or documentation proving they live in the community and will be provided with kits containing N95 masks and goggles to use in the burn zones, said Choi.
Rain may be on the horizon
Exceptionally dry air is expected to remain across Southern California, with relative humidity levels dropping to between 1% and 10%, but a low-pressure system expected to move into the area over the weekend could bring the first rainfall of the year so far.
While rainfall is not expected to exceed a half an inch, any amount is useful to help with containment and to slow the ongoing increases in drought for the area.
Downtown Los Angeles last saw 0.1 inches of rainfall on May 5, 2024 – 258 days ago – and has only seen 0.16 inches of rainfall since October 1. With no rainfall since the start of 2025, 90% of Los Angeles County is now in severe drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.
But the possible rain could be a mixed blessing for a region blighted with chemically contaminated burn scars in areas prone to mudslide.
Local leaders are preparing for any negative impact the rain could have on the scorched earth.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she issued an executive order “to shore up burn areas and stem the flow of toxic debris” should it rain over the weekend.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has extended an ocean advisory warning residents to avoid any contact with the water at certain beaches.
“Ash from the Los Angeles Fires may enter coastal water through surface water runoff and windblown ash. The ash may contain substances including arsenic, other metals, and asbestos, which can be harmful to human health,” the advisory said.
The advisory extends from Surfrider Beach to Dockweiler State Beach.
“I normally pray for rain. God knows we generally need it,” Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the Palisades district, said Tuesday. “But right now, let me point out the obvious, the burn scar of the Palisades fire not only sits feet from the ocean itself, but already on hillsides that are already prone to slide.”
The City Council approved her motion instructing the Bureau of Engineering and LA Sanitation to create a comprehensive waste mitigation and slope stabilization plan, according to Park.
She said the rain will spread the hazardous materials and contaminants left after the fires. “When it rains, they flow into our gutters and storm drains, our creeks and waterways, and eventually, our beaches and ocean,” Park said.
President Trump comes to town
President Donald Trump said he will visit California on Friday to survey the damage caused by the devastating wildfires.
“I … want to send our love to everyone affected by the terrible wildfires raging in California,” he said.
Trump previously said he had not spoken to California Gov. Gavin Newsom since the outbreak of the wildfires, but has slammed the governor and other Democratic officials over the fire response and called them “incompetent …”
Meanwhile, former Vice President Kamala Harris flew to Los Angeles Monday afternoon, visited a fire station and distributed food to community members impacted by the wildfires.
Harris is from California and before she was vice president served as a US senator representing California and the attorney general of the state.
