First Heat, Now Here Come the Santa Anas
Santa Ana winds could give new life to Station Fire
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Firefighters are concerned that that Santa Ana conditions could cause the deadly blaze north of Los Angeles to kick up again this week.
As of Tuesday morning, the Station wildfire in the Angeles National Forest was 94 percent contained. But due to the hot, dry and windy weather that's set to last through Wednesday, a Red Flag warning in the fire zone is taking effect Monday at 9 p.m.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is directing Cal/OSHA to carry out the largest "heat enforcement effort" in history. He has also mobilized the California Emergency Management Agency and CALFIRE to prepare for the increased wildfire danger.
Full containment was predicted by Tuesday evening but the U.S. Forest Service now expects to surround it by early Thursday morning.
Fire Behavior Analyst Dan Felix says the winds could play a devastating factor in a fire that was supposed to be out days ago.
“The weather conditions are about to give the fire the chance to get up and move on us," he said, "With what we’re facing, it could get up and move very quickly.”
The flames have scorched more than 160,500 since it was intentionally set by an unknown arsonist Aug. 26, making it the largest wildfire in Los Angeles County history.
It has cost more than $84,500,000 to fight thus far, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Two firefighters died in the fire when the vehicle they were in went over a cliff.
"Steep, rugged terrain," said Incident Manager Marc Peebles Monday, "that's our problem with this. Those hot spots we haven't been able to get a handle on are in the ugliest, steepest country you can possibly see."
On Saturday, four helitankers sprayed fire retardant northeast of critical telecommunications facilities and the historic telescope complex atop Mount Wilson. A specially-equipped truck will start spraying retardant on the north slope of the peak Sunday morning.
“They’ve done a lot of good work," Peebles said, "dropped 80,000 gallons the first day. The air tankers were up yesterday getting retardant on there.”
Santa Ana wind gusts of up to 45 miles an hour are predicted to hit the fire area starting Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Daytime temperatures are already in the 90s and may top 100, as humidities drop to single digits.
"It's still a live, viable beast," said Incident Meteorologist Robert Balfore, "until the weather turns against it, it's lying up with it."
All of Los Angeles County is under a fire warning because of a strong offshore pressure gradient -- also known as Santa Ana winds -- that are expected to arrive late Monday night.
