The fire broke out while Los Angeles was being swept by particularly violent gusts: hot Santa Ana winds, typical of the Californian winter, were expected to blow up to 160 km/h, according to the US Weather Services (NWS). ).
Enough to spread the flames very quickly and greatly complicate the task of the firefighters.
“WARNING!!! A DESTRUCTIVE wind storm posing a DEADLY DANGER is expected from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning over a large part of the region” of Los Angeles, warned the NWS on X.
The weather alert is expected to remain in place until Thursday evening.
Many firefighters had been deployed in advance and were “aggressively” fighting the fire, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass assured on social media.
“Area residents are urged to heed evacuation warnings and follow the instructions of public safety officials,” the Democrat added.