California braces for new fires as winds trigger conditions for ‘explosive growth’

High winds might not only spark new wildfires, but also spread ash from previous fires to other communities

High winds are threatening to fuel more Southern California wildfires, even as Los Angeles works to recover from the blazes that devastated neighborhoods earlier this month.

On Tuesday, wind speeds eased to around 60mph (96kph), but National Weather Service forecasters believe that will pick up in Los Angeles Wednesday.

The high winds, paired with the extremely dry conditions in Los Angeles, provide the perfect fuel for another round of massive wildfires.

“The conditions are ripe for explosive fire growth should a fire start,” Andrew Rorke, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard in Ventura County, told The Associated Press.

The fires in LA earlier this month killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since January 7.

Red flag warnings — a National Weather Service's alert issued when the chances of a wildfire developing are high — are in effect for LA and Ventura counties until 8 p.m. on Thursday, according to the NWS.

A firefighter stands on top of a fire truck to battle the Palisades Fire while it burns homes on the Pacific Coast Highway amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)

On Monday, LA Mayor Karen Bass said that the city was prepared to respond to any new fires, but warned that the Santa Ana winds could kick up ash from previous fires. The airborne ash could not only make the air in some areas toxic, but the high winds could also carry that ash to other communities in Southern California.

In the meantime, Cal Fire — the state's fire service — has pre-positioned trucks, water-dumping aircraft, and responders across the threatened region in the event that another wildfire breaks out over the next two days.

One of those crews put out a fire already; a small brush fire broke out on January 20 near the Griffith Observatory, but firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames before they had the chance to spread.

Police reportedly arrested a man they believe started that blaze, according to the LAPD.

Smaller fires have been cropping up all over Southern California this week, and firefighters have been quick to put them out, or at least to begin containment measures.

On Monday a small fire sparked in the city of Poway, just north of San Diego, but firefighters fought it and stalled its progress. Several other smaller blazes cropped up across San Diego County, some of which prompted fire crews to call for local evacuations.

The 50-acre Lilac fire and the Pala fire were both being battled as of Tuesday. The Lilac fire prompted some evacuation orders, as did the Friars fire. Firefighters are working to contain both.

Residents in LA, Ventura and San Diego Counties have been instructed to check in with local authorities for instructions and information in the event of a fire.