The National Weather Service has issued a very rare and troubling warning for Southern California regarding the still-raging Getty Fire. The area is now under an “extreme red flag warning” through Thursday night. Winds could top out around 80 mph, the strongest they’ve been in a decade, which will help stoke and spread the wildfire.
The fire first broke out early Monday morning near the 405 Interstate in Los Angeles. Since then, it has burned nearly 700 acres, destroyed several homes, and caused thousands of residents and businesses to be evacuated.
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The weather conditions on Tuesday were favorable to fighting the fire and containing it from spreading further.
“Our focus was taking full advantage of those conditions overnight,” Margaret Stewart, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman, said, according to the LA Times.
Over 1,100 firefighters are battling the Getty Fire and trying to contain it as much as possible before the Santa Ana winds arrive Wednesday. Winds are supposed to increase overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, with them topping out at sustained winds of 30 to 50 mph. But gusts could go up to 60 to 70 mph. The Los Angeles mountains could experience winds up to 80 mph.
Officials are continuing to urge people to evacuate and stay evacuated if they’ve been told to do so.”I’m sure we’ve all gotten phone calls and had conversations with people saying, ‘Well, there’s not a lot of smoke. It should be fine to go home.’ I want to continue to tell people: Listen to the professionals and the firefighters who are asking you to stay away,” said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. “People will not be returning to their homes this evening. You should prepare for that now.”
“This is the worst since we had an event in October 2007. Don’t let your guard down,” National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Fisher said.
Several celebrities who live in the area of the fire have been forced to evacuate. On Monday, actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger tweeted about leaving his home, as did Lakers star LeBron James.
On Tuesday, actress Kate Beckinsale became the latest celeb to share her evacuation story.
“We are safe. Thank you so much to everyone who checked in,” she wrote on Instagram. “Sending love and hope to everyone else who walked out of their house at 3 am to this, love and admiration to the [Los Angeles Fire Department] and most of all to David and Dorothy who didn’t need to remember in the middle of the night that I can’t drive but did. And to everyone who has offered me a place to stay despite my rolling with four animals including an epileptic cat. Angel people . So grateful x.”
