Los Angeles wildfires: Death toll now 25; extreme weather alert issued amid power cuts

With ongoing wildfires in Southern California, the National Weather Service advises residents to remain vigilant and prepare for possible evacuations.

The Palisades and Eaton fires have been tearing through Southern California, including Los Angeles, for over a week now, and things could get even worse. Strong winds are sweeping through the region, raising fears of another fire breaking out. On Tuesday, millions of people were issued new fire warnings, highlighting just how serious the situation is, news agency Associated Press reported

Firefighters with the California Task Force 3 Urban Search and Rescue comb through the ruins of a beachfront house where victims of the Los Angeles fires are reportedly buried, in Malibu, California.(ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP)

Along with a potential new fire eruption, as many as 90,000 Californian households faced power outages as utilities have shut service lines to avoid any spark which could lead to another fire, AP reported.

Santa Ana winds, strong enough to spark new fire, blew through Southern California overnight on Tuesday and will continue till Wednesday morning. “Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here,” said LA city fire chief Kristin Crowley.

So far, at least 25 people have died due to these fires, said the report.

People in Southern California have been told to be ready to evacuate as the dry Santa Ana winds pose a threat of new fire eruptions. They have also been asked to avoid any activity that could spark fire.

Red flag warning

A red flag warning was in place for a major part of Southern California- including Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties as well as parts of Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, which indicated that winds gusting up to 110 kmph paired with intense dryness in the region can cause another wildfire.

"Stay aware of your surroundings. Be ready to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire," warned the National Weather Service, according to an AFP report.

Among the areas at the risk of "particularly dangerous situations” - NWS’s highest warning designation, were parts of Los Angeles county and Ventura county.

"All the plants and vegetation is really dry and ready to burn so... fires can grow pretty fast," meteorologist Ryan Kittell told AFP.