California firefighters could make progress in containing three large wildfires burning in and around Los Angeles on Friday, as the latest wave of high winds subsides and the first rainfall in months arrives over the weekend .
President Donald Trump will travel to disaster-stricken Los Angeles on Friday for his first trip since his inauguration. Mr. Trump sharply criticized local and state authorities for their handling of the massive fires, which burned entire neighborhoods, killed 28 people and damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures.
Rich Otto, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, said up to 4 inches of rain was forecast this weekend as hot, dry Santa Ana winds soothe. After gusts of 60 mph on Thursday, winds will reach 25 to 40 mph on Friday and decrease throughout the day.
“It will be cold rain from late Saturday through Monday, with some snow at higher elevations, but the concern is for areas with burn scars from the fires,” he said. he declared.
But the region’s first significant rainfall in months would also increase the risk of dangerous mudslides on slopes stripped of vegetation by fires over the past two weeks.
The last major fire to break out in the Los Angeles area has already burned 10,300 acres in the San Fernando Valley, but firefighters managed to control 36% of the Hughes Fire’s perimeter by the end of the day on Thursday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on its website.
-The Eaton and Palisades fires – on the eastern and western flanks of the metropolis – have been burning for 18 days.
The Eaton Fire, which destroyed much of the community of Altadena, near Pasadena, has been 95% contained, giving hope that firefighters will be able to surround it in its entirety on Friday.
The Palisades fire, which devastated the wealthy enclave of Pacific Palisades, near Santa Monica, was 72% contained, according to Cal Fire, late Thursday.
A series of small fires have also threatened the region in recent days. The Sepulveda Fire, which broke out early Thursday morning, burned 45 acres along Highway 405 near the Getty Center museum, which houses many artistic treasures on 45 acres. Now 60% contained, the fire briefly closed part of the busy highway and forced some evacuations.
