Southern California faces new wildfire warnings as winds regain strength

Weary and anxious from a week of massive blazes burning around Los Angeles, Southern California residents faced dire new wildfire warnings and power shutoffs Tuesday while they prepared to flee at a moment's notice as fire-fuelling winds blasted across the scarred landscape.

The winds, predicted to reach near hurricane-force in some areas, were expected to peak Tuesday morning before easing and then regaining strength later in the day.

A beefed-up firefighting force was in place to attack flareups or new blazes. A week after the first fires began, the flames have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.

Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here, LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told a news conference.

Residents gathered up their pets and family photos in case they had to make a hasty escape.

In other developments, nine people were charged with looting, including a group that stole an Emmy award from a house that had been evacuated, said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. Another pair pilfered more than USD 200,000 worth of items in a neighbourhood filled with mansions, he said.

Police have made roughly 50 arrests for looting, flying drones that could illegally interfere with firefighting aircraft and violating curfew.

Three people who tried to start small fires that were immediately extinguished were arrested on suspicion of arson, said LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell. One person was using a barbecue lighter to start fires. Another ignited brush while a third tried to set fire to a trash can outside the disaster zones, he said.

More than 75,000 households, mostly in Los Angeles County, were without electricity Tuesday morning in the blustery conditions, according to Southern California Edison, which shut off power in areas of high risk to prevent their lines from sparking new fires.

Santa Ana winds gusted up to 50 mph (80 kph) before sunrise in the mountains around LA, said meteorologist Todd Hall of the National Weather Service. Strong winds were expected to continue through midday Wednesday and could carry embers miles ahead of the fire lines or trigger fire tornadoes, he said.

Much of Southern California was under an elevated fire risk Tuesday, from San Diego to far north of Los Angeles into Ventura County. Facing the greatest risk were inland areas north of LA, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley, forecasters said.

The weather service issued a rare warning for Tuesday: The winds, combined with severely dry conditions, have created a particularly dangerous situation, meaning that any new fire could explode in size.

Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-retardant chemicals, while crews and fire engines deployed to particularly vulnerable spots with dry brush. Dozens of additional water trucks rolled in to replenish supplies after hydrants ran dry last week when the two largest fires erupted.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials who have faced criticism over their initial response to the fires expressed confidence that the region was ready to face the new threat with scores of additional firefighters brought in from around the US, as well as Canada and Mexico.

Seeing the destruction from the air drove home the enormity of the situation, she said, comparing the aftermath to what would remain after being hit by a dry hurricane.

Although winds were not expected to reach the same fierce speeds seen last week, they could ground firefighting aircraft, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said. He warned that if winds reach 70 mph (112 kph), it's going to be very difficult to contain that fire.

More than a dozen wildfires have broken out in Southern California since the beginning of the year, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area. The parched, brush-filled region has seen almost no rain in more than eight months.

Firefighters quickly jumped on small fires that popped up, knocking down a blaze that broke out Monday night in a dry riverbed near an agricultural area northwest of LA.

Authorities advised residents in high-risk areas to just leave home and not wait for formal evacuation orders if they sense danger.

The four fires around the nation's second-biggest city have scorched more than 63 square miles (163 square kilometres), roughly three times the size of Manhattan.

The Eaton Fire near Pasadena was roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze in Pacific Palisades on the coast was far less contained.

Searching for victims  The death toll is likely to rise, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. At least two dozen people remained missing, he said Tuesday.

At a Monday evening community meeting about the Palisades Fire, a Los Angeles Police Department official said many people reported as missing had been found.

Just under 100,000 in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders, half the number from last week.

Investigating the destruction  Authorities haven't determined a cause for any of the fires. Southern California Edison has acknowledged that agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller blaze.

A lawsuit filed Monday claims the utility's equipment sparked the much bigger Eaton Fire. Edison did not respond to a request for comment and last week said it had not received any suggestions that its equipment ignited that blaze.