Santa Ana is blowing strong winds fire-ravaged Los Angeles on Friday morning, but winds will ease later in the day and the red flag warning will end Friday night.
Winds in Santa Ana topped 80 mph in the mountains outside Los Angeles and reached 46 mph along the coast of Malibu overnight.
The strongest winds are on Friday morning; they will begin to subside in the afternoon and evening.
A helicopter drops water on the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles on January 9, 2025.
Ethan Swope/AP
A high wind warning is in effect from Los Angeles to San Diego until 2 p.m. Friday. The red flag warning for LA will end at 6:00 PM on Friday.
But the dry weather does not improve; relative humidity will remain in the 7% to 15% range across most of Southern California. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a critical fire danger for parts of inland San Diego County and a high fire danger for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles on January 9, 2025.
Ethan Swope/AP
Another strong Santa Ana wind event is forecast for next week.
It has killed at least 10 people destructive fires. The two largest are the Palisades Fire, du It decimated the coastal community of Pacific Palisadesand the Eaton Fire, which burned house after house in Altadena. The Palisades Fire is 6% contained; Eaton Fire is 0% contained.
An aerial view shows destroyed homes as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 9, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
