new fires expected this week as firefighters make significant progress

A lull in winds in Los Angeles this weekend brings some respite to firefighters who continue to battle the flames, but meteorologists expect a return of more powerful squalls starting Monday. New fires could therefore break out. Winds are expected to strengthen from Monday to Wednesday opening “a new period of critical risk” for the fires, meteorologist Daniel Swain warned Saturday, adding that it might not rain at all for the next six or seven days.

Currently, two fires are still burning in the Californian city. That of Pacific Palisades, this upscale neighborhood where many celebrities live west of the City of Angels, was 49% contained on Saturday evening, according to the Los Angeles Times . The Eaton blaze, which is burning north of Los Angeles, was 73% contained on Saturday evening.

Certain areas of these two neighborhoods have been reopened to residents who can present themselves at police checkpoints with an identity document. But the majority of residents who have evacuated are still waiting for the green light. “I hope they call us soon to come back (to us)”confided to AFP Winston Ekpo, whose house survived the flames. He would like to be able to “clear the smoke, maybe buy some air purifiers and check the attic”specifies the father who has been living in a shelter with his wife and children for ten days.

Trump expected on site

Dozens of people are still missing and at least 27 have died from the fires in Altadena, north of Los Angeles, and Pacific Palisades. They destroyed more than 16,000 hectares, the equivalent of the area of ​​the capital Washington, and led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

Mounted police officers and dog squads inspected the disaster areas on Friday in search of victims, in charred buildings and even in certain steep areas. Hundreds of trucks crisscross the roads of Altadena, the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and the Malibu coast to transport workers who have come to clear the roads, restore electricity and inspect water and gas leaks.

As the fires become one of California’s biggest disasters, President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he hopes to visit the site after his inauguration Monday. “probably at the end of the week”. Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom invited the Republican, who attacked him for his handling of the fires, to visit Los Angeles and see the damage.

Investigation into the cause of the fires

Federal authorities have launched an investigation to determine the causes of these fires, which are the subject of numerous theories. But experts are already pointing out a few elements: two very rainy years gave rise to lush vegetation, which then dried out without precipitation for months and violent winds made the task of firefighters almost impossible.

The Santa Ana winds, which fanned the flames at breakneck speed, are a classic of Californian autumns and winters. But this time they reached an intensity not seen since 2011, according to meteorologists, with gusts blowing up to 160 km/h.

Alex Tardy of the American Weather Services (NWS) explains that if we combine the latest episodes of Santa Ana winds with the one that is arriving and the conditions on the ground, “we have never seen such fire danger and such dry vegetation in modern records”. This does not necessarily mean that there will be more fires, he explains, but if they start there will be “potentially more explosive and rapid spread”.