LOS ANGELES — Firefighters have worked over the past week to contain the flames that have engulfed much of the city, killed 20 people and destroyed thousands of buildings, but they warned Monday that fierce Santa Ana winds that are driving the flames are becoming increasingly intense and could cause a destructive sequel.
“We’re not quite done yet,” Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference. “We cannot let our guard down.”
The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings from the Ventura County coastline through the vast Los Angeles metro area as wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour are forecast beginning early Tuesday and continuing through Wednesday.
“Red Flag Warnings are for the extremes of extreme fire scenarios. In other words, this setup is about as bad as it gets,” the NWS said on X.
When asked if they are better prepared than when the fires first broke out a week ago, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Moroni said, “We are definitely better prepared.”
A firefighter sets up a hose Saturday while battling the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon.
Last week, wind gusts in Santa Ana reached hurricane force at times before calming somewhat over the weekend, giving local firefighters, backed by reinforcements from out of state and even Mexico, a chance to battle the flames fueling the tinder-dry conditions.
As of Monday morning, the Palisades Fire had burned nearly 24,000 acres and was 14% contained, and the Eaton Fire had burned more than 14,000 acres and was 33% contained, California Governor Gavin Newson said on X.
Although evacuation orders are still in effect for 92,000 Los Angeles residents, and another 89,000 are in evacuation warning zones, those numbers are significantly lower than last week, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
But Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged residents to remain vigilant and be prepared to leave their homes and neighborhoods at a moment’s notice if Santa Ana winds pick up again.
“If winds increase, please heed the calls to evacuate,” she said.
Firefighters have made progress on the Palisades Fire; Although the fire is still contained at 14%, they have been able to stop its spread.
“We have also made significant progress in Topanga Oaks, Sylvia Park, Temescal Ridge and Mulholland – all of these areas are threatened and we continue to hold them,” said LA County 3rd District Supervisor Lindsay P. Horvath.
Much of the city is still blanketed by smoky air, and Horvath advised residents to wear N95 masks when venturing outside and to close windows and doors and use air filters in their homes.
“Children and older adults, especially those with serious health complications, are particularly at risk,” Horvath said.
The worst fires in Los Angeles history broke out last week, sparking a massive and sometimes chaotic exodus as residents fled neighborhoods in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena that were largely reduced to ashes within hours.
The rubble of homes in Altadena on Sunday.
Adding to the chaos, a series of false evacuation warnings accidentally sent to other parts of the city put an already nervous city on edge, while shelters in Los Angeles were filled to the brim with people fleeing the fire had displaced them, many of whom fled with only the clothes they were wearing and all the valuables they could carry.
Luna warned homeowners who have begun trickling back to see what’s left of their homes to stay away as authorities are still looking for potential victims of the fire.
In particular, Luna said, the Altadena area is on the third day of grid searching, which he described as “a very grim task.”
“Unfortunately, every day we do this we come across the remains of individual community members,” Luna said. “That is not easy work. Very sad to report… I believe we will continue to find remains.”
The death toll stood at 24 on Monday and is expected to rise.
Luna said they are actively searching for 23 adults, 17 of whom were missing in the Eaton Fire, which destroyed the Angeles National Forest and Altadena in Los Angeles County and Pasadena. Six others are still missing in Malibu, the sheriff said.
In a statement, President Joe Biden said his “heart aches for the 24 innocent souls we lost in the Los Angeles wildfires.”
Detectives are still trying to determine the cause of the fires and have not ruled out arson.
Firefighters battle the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon on Sunday.
“Right now we have a robust task force, they are identifying the cause and origin of each of these individual fires,” said LAPD Interim Police Chief Dominic Choi. “None of them have been ruled out as arson. These are ongoing investigations.”
“Specifically with the Palisades Fire, there is no final determination at this time that it is arson, but we are looking at it from all sides,” Choi said.
Marlene Lenthang reported from Los Angeles and Corky Siemaszko from New York City.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com