LA fires: More water tankers, firefighters in Los Angeles ahead of strong Santa Ana winds forecast; What to expect?

LA fires: The wildfire in California have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people. In less than a week, four fires around the nation’s second-biggest city have scorched more than 62 square miles (160 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan. The Eaton Fire near Pasadena is roughly one-third contained, while the largest blaze in Pacific Palisades on the coast is far less contained.

LA fires: Strong winds to hit LA? What does forecast say

The winds are predicted to pick up late Monday into early Tuesday, but they are not expected to reach hurricane-force like last week, report by Associated Press stated. However, they could ground firefighting aircraft, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said, warning if winds reach 70 mph (112 kph), “it’s going to be very difficult to contain that fire."

Fire officials urged residents in high-risk areas to leave their homes if they feel threatened, without waiting for official evacuation orders, the report stated.

According to the National Weather Service, weather will be “particularly dangerous” on Tuesday, when wind gusts could reach 65 mph (105 kph). It said that a large part of Southern California around Los Angeles is under this extreme fire danger warning through Wednesday, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley.

LA Fires: What measures are being taken in response to strong winds warning?

Additional water tankers and scores of firefighters arrived at the Los Angeles area on Monday ahead of fierce winds that were forecast to return.

Planes sprayed bright pink fire-retardant chemicals on homes and hillsides, while firefighters and fire trucks were stationed at high-risk areas with dry brush. Dozens of water trucks arrived to refill supplies after hydrants ran out last week when the two biggest fires broke out.

'Ready to face new threat', says Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials, faced criticism for their initial response to last week's fires has now expressed confidence that the region is ready to face the new threat. Additional firefighters have been brought in from across the U.S., as well as from Canada and Mexico. LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said, “We’re absolutely better prepared.”

LA fires: Trump to visit Los Angeles

Several reports have stated that US President-elect Donald Trump is likely to visit Southern California next week. According to The Hill report, Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson expressed excitmetm for Trump's California visit. While speaking to MSNBC’s The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart, Harris-Dawson said, “I’m ready for him. We’ll be excited to see him here, you know, to be in Pacific Palisades, here in the city of Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, and Pasadena, Altadena. We hope that he comes soon, before the 20th,” as quoted by The Hill.

LA fires: Damage from Los Angeles fire

AccuWeather’s early estimates suggest the fires could be the nation’s costliest ever, topping $250 billion including what’s to come in the next days. The reconstruction cost for commercial and residential properties inside areas with active fires could be $14.8 billion, according to real estate data tracker CoreLogic.

(With inputs from AP)