Strong winds ease in LA, giving weary firefighters a break

Firefighters battling two wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles over nine days may get some respite from the weather Thursday.

Hurricane-force winds that initially fanned the flames and hampered rescue efforts have weakened to much weaker gusts.

Progress was made in containing the two largest fires, burning a total of about 40,000 acres.

At least 25 people were killed and more than 12,000 buildings were destroyed in some of the biggest fires in living memory to engulf America’s second-largest city.

The two largest fires, Eaton and Palisades, are still burning after more than a week – and firefighting assistance has been requested from Mexico and Canada.

Red flag warnings have been lifted by the National Weather Service (NWS), but may return in a few days.

There will be “a big improvement for tonight and tomorrow, although there will still be some problem areas,” Ryan Kittel of the NWS told the AFP news agency.

Fire warnings remain critical, with parts of southern California still at increased risk despite easing winds and rising humidity, BBC forecaster Paul Goddard says.

No rain forecast for California next week.

Authorities are also monitoring Santa Ana winds, which have been blamed for fueling the fires. Winds are forecast to return early next week, bringing a high risk of additional red flag warnings.

Wind gusts could reach 30-50 mph (48-80 km/h).

The Palisades fire, the largest to burn, has not grown as firefighters work to contain the flames, according to Jim Hudson, Cal Fire incident manager.

It burned 24,000 acres. Over 20% contained as of Thursday morning.

“There are extreme hazards and extreme heat that still lie around the perimeter and interior of this fire,” Mr Hudson said at a press conference in Malibu on Wednesday.

Mr Hudson added that 5,100 staff had been deployed to tackle the blaze.

“As we move forward, we will continue to increase our containment when we feel it’s safe, and that safety is not just about life and property, but fire growth,” he added.

The 25th death from the fires was confirmed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office earlier this week. A number of other people remain unaccounted for.

Most of the victims died in the Eaton fire, which burned more than 14,000 acres north of the city. Firefighters have contained 45% of the fire.

Some of the victims of the Eton fire have now been allowed to return to their homes, but tens of thousands of people are still under evacuation orders – which also include an overnight curfew.

Thousands of homes were destroyed in one of the costliest natural disasters in American history.

Extreme Weather Attribution Study by Climate Scientists in “Climate meter” concluded that California wildfires were fueled by weather conditions exacerbated by human-induced climate change.

The study found that current conditions were warmer, drier and windier than in the past in areas affected by the fires.