Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday reminded the residents of Southern California to be vigilant amid wind conditions that threaten to start more fires.
The National Weather Service forecasts a “particularly dangerous situation” in Southern California and high winds in some counties through Wednesday.
Since Sunday, Governor Newsom has approved and staged 199 engines in Southern California as well as water tenders, helicopters, dozers and specialized personnel in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernadino, Santa Barbara, Kern, Inyo and Mono.
Cal OES has proactively placed 113 fire engines, 15 water tenders, 9 helicopters, and 9 dozers across Southern California. The deployment also includes numerous specialized personnel with hand crews, dispatchers, and Incident Management Team (IMT) members.
CAL FIRE has surged and positioned over 1,120 firefighting personnel who are ready to respond above and beyond its usual staffing levels, along with 86 engines, in Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Riverside and Kern counties, including hand crews, dozers and aircraft.
When the winds start:
- Avoid downed trees and powerlines.
- Use extreme caution with anything that can spark a fire.
- Be aware of dangerous driving conditions and travel delays, especially for high-profile vehicles.
- Hazardous sea conditions are expected with potential breaking waves at Avalon Harbor
This is the fifth “Particularly Dangerous Situation” fire weather warning issued by the National Weather Service. The first preceded the Mountain Fire (Ventura County), which destroyed 243 structures. The second preceded the Franklin Fire in Malibu, which destroyed 20 structures. The third preceded the Palisades and Eaton Fires among others, in which thousands of homes have been destroyed as more than 15,000 personnel continue to battle those blazes. The fourth was issued on January 13. The fifth began today.
Californians must stay prepared
- Create a plan to protect your people: Follow the guidance of local authorities, learn quick exits from your community, and be ready to go to your safe place.
- Pack a go bag: Put together important documents, wallet, phone, medicine and grab a portable radio and flashlight if you need to leave quickly.
- Charge necessary electronic and lighting devices.
- Fill up gas tanks of cars and generators.
- Secure any loose outdoor items.
- Help friends and neighbors: Check on your most vulnerable neighbors and ensure they are prepared to evacuate.
- Get emergency alerts: Sign up for local alerts to know if you need to evacuate – go to ca.gov/LAFires
For Californians impacted by the firestorms in Los Angeles, there are resources available.
Get help today
Californians can go to CA.gov/LAfires – a hub for information and resources from state, local and federal government.
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses from wildfires in Los Angeles County can apply for disaster assistance:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
- By calling 800-621-3362
- By using the FEMA smart phone application
- Assistance is available in over 40 languages
- If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.
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