The firestorm that’s engulfed parts of Southern California has fire crews keeping an eye on “unprecedented” wind gusts as they work to fight the flames on what officials have described as “steep, inaccessible areas.”
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The National Weather Service has extended a red-flag warning through the weekend across much of the region, which indicates “critical” fire conditions exist in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, where fires have destroyed hundreds of homes since Sunday.
“If fire ignition occurs, there will be the potential for very rapid spread of wildfire with long-range spotting and extreme fire behavior that could lead to a threat to life and property,” the weather service warned.
Fire officials warned those powerful winds can help to fan dangerous flames in any blaze that develops.
“These winds are pretty much unprecedented,” Los Angeles County Fire Battalion Chief Trent Aronson told Fox News on Thursday.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES FORCE MASS EVACUATIONS AROUND LOS ANGELES
Aronson said the blazes this week have been particularly challenging because 60-mile-per hour wind gusts don’t allow firefighters to actually fight the flames, but instead are simply taking precautionary measures to slow the spread.