Firefighters were trying to take advantage of a drop in the intensity of the winds blowing across Los Angeles on Friday to try to regain control of the fires, but the lull should be short-lived. The violent winds which allowed the blazes to progress at lightning speed were expected to decrease in intensity during the day on Friday and no longer blow at around 30 km/h, although with gusts of up to 80 km/h during the weekend, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), the American weather service.
This period of calm will allow water bomber planes to drop water and retardants (chemicals intended to slow the spread of fires) on the burning hills surrounding Los Angeles. “The gusts are less strong, which should help the firefighters”said Allison Santorelli, NWS meteorologist. “There is some good news, if anything”she added, recalling that the situation remains critical due to the drought.
But further south, in San Diego, the winds will on the contrary strengthen over the weekend, with gusts of 110 km/h which risk fanning active fires in this region, warned the meteorologist.
“We are doing everything in our power to get the situation under control, and we have had some success”declared Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass during a press conference. “We know the winds could increase again early next week and we must do everything we can to save lives. This is our number one job”she added.
