USA: Extreme warning issued ahead of brutal Santa Ana winds, the strongest since 2007
By Hannah Fry, Ruben Vives, Alex Wigglesworth, and Rong-Gong Lin II
In an ominous new advisory, the National Weather Service issued a rare “extreme red flag warning” for Southern California through Thursday evening, saying winds could top 80 mph and be the strongest in more than a decade.
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Officials worry the winds could prove disastrous for the smoldering Getty fire, which broke out shortly after 1:30 a.m. Monday along the 405 Freeway near the Getty Center and quickly spread into tony neighborhoods. A day after it sparked, the blaze had charred more than 650 acres, burned several homes and sent thousands of residents fleeing in the dark. The fire was 15% contained as of Tuesday night.
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Newsom declared a statewide emergency Sunday as wildfires spread throughout the state, burning tens of thousands of acres and forcing evacuations of more than 180,000 people. They include the massive Kincade fire in Northern California, which has destroyed at least 124 structures and threatens an additional 90,000.
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Fire officials worry the high winds may blow smoldering embers miles away from the body of the blaze, setting new spot fires in dry brush or igniting homes. “We’re very concerned about tonight’s wind event,” Terrazas said.
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