Winds pick up, then die down, but LA fire risk remains

Fires raging across Los Angeles have killed more than two dozen people and burned over 60 square miles, with more than 82,000 residents under evacuation orders in the county. Over 12,000 structures have been badly damaged or lost, sending rent costs skyrocketing and exacerbating LA’s preexisting housing crisis.

The fires are already among the worst in California’s history. On Wednesday, authorities issued a less severe wind warning, lowering the risk of fire in the coming days as winds later died down. But winds could threaten to pick up Monday, and with no rain in the forecast, fire conditions could worsen once again.

Toxic smoke is also a threat. On Tuesday, LA County issued a dust and ash warning as air quality drops and particulate matter circulates, raising the threat of health risks including asthma and premature death.

Firefighters from the US and around the world are working to get the blazes under control as criticism of LA Fire Department funding grows. Critics say the LAFD has been structurally underfunded, even as experts contend that no amount of funding or water would have been sufficient to quell the fires — the product of a “perfect storm” of dry conditions, stronger-than-usual Santa Ana winds, and the ongoing effects of climate change.