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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Santa Ana winds are expected to continue on Wednesday, heightening concerns that the gusts could spread flames from the raging Pacific Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
Why It Matters
Around 49,000 residents of the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades have been told to evacuate, 170,000 households are without power, and a state of emergency has been declared.
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What To Know
The Palisades Fire, which erupted on Tuesday, rapidly ballooned in size to cover more than 2,900 acres. Two new blazes—the Eaton Fire near Altadena and the Hurst Fire in Sylmar—also erupted late Tuesday. A Jewish Temple has been destroyed in Pasadena.
Firefighters were still fighting the Palisades Fire on Wednesday. Red-flag warnings, high-wind warnings, and other weather warnings related to the situation are expected to remain in place throughout the day on Wednesday. Winds between 50 and 70 mph are expected in some areas, and winds near 100 mph, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane, have been reported at Mount Lukens, according to AccuWeather.
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What Are Santa Ana Winds and How Did They Impact the Fire?
The strong, dangerous Santa Ana winds blow through from the mountains to the coast of Southern California. The current situation was caused by a large area of high pressure in the Great Basin states that is interacting with an area of low pressure in northern Baja California, Mexico.
Only a month ago, Santa Ana winds spurred the Franklin Fire in Malibu in December that quickly encompassed thousands of acres and endangered countless homes.
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How Contained Is the Fire?
As of Wednesday morning, the fire was still 0 percent contained, according to a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) webpage. The Los Angeles Fire Department is the lead responding agency. LAFD's most-recent update was on Tuesday night, in which the department said the fire had grown to nearly 3,000 acres.
Why Is the Fire Still Raging?
The strong winds have contributed to the raging flames.
Evacuation orders have spread to include Mulholland Road to the north, Kenter Road to the east and the Pacific Coast Highway to the south. Road closures also are in place. Pacific Coast Highway is closed from McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica to Topanga Canyon. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is managing traffic for evacuations.
What People Are Saying
**LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart told Newsweek: "**The fire has burned into Los Angeles County. Evacuations also have been issued in southeastern Santa Monica. If the fire moves further, it will be toward the ocean to the west, given the westerly winds."
AccuWeather long-range meteorologist Alex DaSilva said in a Wednesday morning press conference: DaSilva discussed the two competing storm systems that have caused the Santa Ana winds. "These two weather entities essentially when they interact; they cause a lot of wind between them, and that's what we've been seeing."
What Happens Next
On Wednesday, the Santa Ana winds likely peaked in the morning and will continue to die down throughout the day. Many weather warnings related to the wind will remain in effect through Wednesday, with some extending until Thursday.
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