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After weaker than expected winds, extreme fire conditions are predicted for Wednesday
Tall palm trees sway during extreme gusty winds in Van Nuys on Tuesday as high winds create dangerous conditions and drive brush fires.
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Richard Vogel
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AP
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Dangerous winds did not arrive to portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties as predicted Tuesday, but extreme fire weather conditions are forecast for between 3 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency had issued a "particularly dangerous" warning of extreme Santa Ana winds for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Spot fires — which can happen when embers travel because of the wind gusts — have an 80% chance of occurring, according to L.A. Fire Department spokesperson Erik Scott.
Focus of extreme winds now on Wednesday
NWS meteorologist Ryan Kittell officials "are still concerned about one last [wind] enhancement" through Wednesday, noting that peak wind speed could go up to between 50 mph to 70 mph for targeted areas — particularly in Ventura County.
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Extreme fire weather is now predicted for Wednesday, between 3 a.m. and 3 p.m. in areas circled in purple.
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National Weather Service
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He added some areas where the Eaton Fire is burning would likely fall under Wednesday's warning.
"But that's really just for the upper reaches that fire," he said. "Pretty confident now the lower elevations will not see the winds of concern."
Those winds, even if they come to pass, won't be as fierce as those felt last week.
A break in fire weather starting Thursday
A brief respite in fire weather is forecast starting Thursday into Saturday.
But there's more potential trouble ahead with a 40% chance for another bout of strong winds starting next week.
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Adding to these continuing dry and crispy conditions is the lack of rain in the forecast. Next week's conditions will be so dry, it is defined as the "driest third of climatologically observed precipitation for mid to late January."
"The big moral of the story is that at least to the end of next week, which would be Jan. 25th, really not seeing any significant rain chances, really none to speak of," Kittell said.
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service said there is 40 to 60 percent chance of Santa Ana winds from January 22 to January 25, a period of "critical fire weather conditions" aggravated by dry weather. The exact timing and strength of the winds are still unclear.
Red flag warnings
The red flag warnings for four Southern California counties are slated to expire Wednesday.
The weather service, however, has extended the warnings to Thursday for communities like Acton and Santa Clarita.
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Red flag warnings for Wednesday and Thursday.
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National Weather Service
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For an overview of the Palisades and Eaton fires, go here. For more on what a red flag warning means, go here.
Be ready to leave
Authorities have underscored the need for people to heed evacuation orders and warnings. Lives are at risk as fire can quickly overtake whole neighborhoods, as we’ve see in the Palisades and Eaton fires. At least 24 people have died.
- Before: Your very short guide to getting packed up right now to evacuate
- During: A very short guide for how to leave your house if you need to evacuate
- After: I had to evacuate my home, what do I do next?
Do you have a question about the wildfires or fire recovery?
Check out LAist.com/FireFAQs to see if your question has already been answered. If not, submit your questions here, and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.
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