Firefighters around Los Angeles were preparing on Tuesday to attack flare-ups or new blazes. The National Weather Service issued a rare warning that dry winds combined with severely dry conditions created a 鈥� ,鈥� indicating that any new fire could explode in size. The warning comes a week after two massive infernos and killed at least 24 people.
Here鈥檚 the latest:
Small airborne embers play a big role in the spread of wildfires
While authorities still don鈥檛 know what sparked the deadly fires in the Los Angeles area, they do know one clear way the flames have spread: embers.
Contrary to popular belief, experts say most homes destroyed by wildfires aren鈥檛 overcome by a racing wall of flames, but rather burn after being ignited by airborne embers.
Wind allows embers to burn harder and release more energy, becoming a more potent ignition source, said James Urban, an assistant professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The burning pieces of debris then accumulate and sort of work together, gathering between the slats of wood fences or in shrubbery and igniting new fires.
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Contaminated drinking water is a growing concern for cities facing wildfires
As fires across Los Angeles, have declared their drinking water unsafe until extensive testing can prove otherwise.
A warmer, drier climate means wildfires are getting worse, and encroaching on cities 鈥� with devastating impact. Toxic chemicals from those burns can get into damaged drinking water systems, and even filtering or boiling won鈥檛 help, experts say.
Last week, Pasadena Water and Power issued a 鈥淒o Not Drink鈥� notice to about a third of its customers for the first time since it began distributing water more than a century ago. With at least one burned pump, several damaged storage tanks, and burned homes, they knew there was a chance toxic chemicals had entered their pipes.
鈥淥ut of the abundance of caution, you kind of have to assume the worst,鈥� said Stacie Takeguchi, chief assistant general manager for the utility.
This week, they for most of the area after testing.
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High winds have worsened California wildfires. What makes them?
High winds have been a key ingredient in the devastating wildfires around Los Angeles.
Southern California鈥檚 winds typically flow onshore from the Pacific, carrying moist air onto land. The Santa Ana winds are warm currents that move in the opposite direction.
Santa Ana winds typically occur from September through May, and they are so dry that they鈥檝e been linked with some of the worst wildfires the region has ever seen, in part because the lack of humidity in the air contributes to vegetation quickly drying.
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Here鈥檚 where things stand on Tuesday morning
A beefed-up firefighting force was staged around Los Angeles to attack flare-ups or new blazes and anxious residents prepared for more fire danger as , a week after two massive infernos and killed at least 24 people.
Dry winds gusted early Tuesday to 40 mph (64 kilometers per hour) in coastal and valley areas and 50 miles per hour (80 kph) in the mountains, said meteorologist Todd Hall of the National Weather Service. Gusts up to 65 mph (105 kph) were forecast to continue through midday Wednesday.
The weather service issued a rare warning that the winds combined with severely dry conditions created a indicating that any new fire could explode in size. Hall said the conditions could lead to extreme fire behavior that could spread embers 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 kilometers) ahead of flames or even cause fire tornadoes.
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