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Friars fire near San Diego mall forces evacuations as California's wildfire nightmare continues
In San Diego County, the Friars Fire erupted on Tuesday near a shopping mall, prompting immediate evacuation orders as the flames quickly spread.
Southern California faces another round of extreme fire weather as dangerous winds and new wildfires flare up across the region. On Tuesday, as several wildfires burned for a third consecutive week, officials took steps to prepare for potential rain this weekend, which could lead to toxic ash runoff.
The National Weather Service issued warnings for "particularly dangerous conditions" across Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Diego counties. Strong Santa Ana winds have returned, with gusts expected to reach up to 70 mph (113 kph) along the coast and up to 100 mph (160 kph) in mountainous areas. These powerful winds, combined with low humidity, have created a volatile environment for wildfires. Winds are expected to ease by late Tuesday, but the fire risk will persist through Thursday.
As wildfires continued to burn, local firefighters quickly doused smaller blazes that broke out over the holiday weekend. "Our concern is the next fire, the next spark that causes the next wildfire," said David Acuna, a spokesman for Cal Fire. Authorities are also concerned that larger fires, like the Palisades and Eaton fires near Los Angeles, could break their containment lines.
In San Diego County, the Friars Fire erupted on Tuesday near a shopping mall, prompting immediate evacuation orders as the flames quickly spread toward nearby residences. "The Friars Fire is one of the many blazes we're battling during this dangerous wind event," said Cal Fire.
Meanwhile, evacuation orders were lifted for the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, which burned at least 85 acres (34 hectares) of dry brush but did not damage structures. Nearby, crews fully contained the 17-acre (7-hectare) Pala Fire.
As Southern California braces for potential rain, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took swift action to address the environmental impact of the wildfires. She signed an executive order to expedite cleanup in burn areas, focusing on removing vegetation, reinforcing roads, and installing barriers to prevent mud and debris flows. "This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire, and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff," Bass said.
Rain is expected to arrive this weekend, with a 60% to 80% chance of light showers across the region. However, meteorologists warned that up to an inch (2.5 cm) of rain could fall in localized thunderstorms, which could trigger dangerous debris flows in fire-ravaged hillsides. "Even if the rain doesn't materialize this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that they’ll have to deal with for months or years," said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
California's wildfire nightmare
In the midst of the fires, authorities continue to battle the ongoing Palisades and Eaton fires, which have claimed at least 27 lives and destroyed over 14,000 structures since January 7. As of Tuesday, the Palisades Fire was 61% contained, and the Eaton Fire was 87% contained. Both fires remain a top priority for firefighting crews.
On Monday, former Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff visited Los Angeles to thank firefighters, volunteers, and victims of the Eaton Fire in Altadena. "We just came out to thank (firefighters), to thank the community and just remind folks that we're all in this together," Harris said, adding that their home in Pacific Palisades had not been damaged.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also addressed the ongoing crisis, emphasizing the need for federal and state cooperation in responding to the devastation. "I look forward to President Trump’s visit to Los Angeles and his mobilization of the full weight of the federal government to help our fellow Americans recover and rebuild," Newsom said in a statement.
As the fires continue to rage and the winds persist, authorities urge residents to remain vigilant, review evacuation plans, and prepare emergency kits. Southern California Edison has preemptively shut off power to over 61,000 customers across five counties and is considering further shutoffs for an additional 251,000 customers to prevent wind-related sparks.
With the situation still evolving, Southern California residents remain on high alert as they navigate the ongoing threat of wildfires and extreme weather conditions.
