Millions of people across Southern California faced new wildfire warnings Tuesday, and tens of thousands saw their power shut off as strong winds blew across the parched landscape around Los Angeles where two massive blazes have been burning for a week. Santa Ana winds that began gusting over the mountains before sunrise were forecast to continue with enough force to carry fire-sparking embers for miles and stoke new outbreaks across a region where at least 24 people have already been killed. “Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here,” LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told a news conference. Much of Southern California was under an elevated fire risk, with crews on high alert across a 300-mile stretch from San Diego to far north of Los Angeles. Facing the greatest risk were inland areas north of LA, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley, home to more than 300,000 people, forecasters said. Nearly 90,000 households lost electricity as utilities shut off power to prevent their lines from sparking new blazes. A state of alert Weary and anxious residents were told to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the skies and on each other: Police announced roughly 50 arrests, for looting, flying drones in fire zones, violating curfew and other crimes. Of those, three people were arrested on suspicion of arson after being seen setting small fires that were immediately extinguished, LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. One was using a barbecue lighter, another ignited brush, and a third tried to light up a trash can, he said. All were far outside the disaster zones. Authorities haven’t determined a cause for any of the major fires. Among nine people charged with looting was a group that stole an Emmy from an evacuated house, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. The biggest worry remained the threat from intense winds predicted to reach nearly hurricane force Tuesday in some areas. Now backed by firefighters from other states, Canada and Mexico, crews were deployed to attack flareups or new blazes. The firefighting force was much bigger than a week ago, when the first wave of fires began destroying thousands of homes in what could become the nation’s costliest fire disaster. Kaylin Johnson and her family planned to spend the night at their home, one of the few left standing in her neighborhood in Altadena, near Pasadena. They planned to keep watch to ward off looting and to hose down the house and her neighbors’ properties to prevent flareups. “Our lives have been put on hold indefinitely,” Johnson said in a text, adding that they cannot freely come and go because of restrictions on entering the decimated areas. “But I would rather be here and not leave than to not be allowed back at all.” An unusual and ominous warning Tuesday’s forecast included a rare warning: The winds, combined with severely dry conditions, have created a “particularly dangerous situation,” meaning that any new fire could explode in size. Gusts will pick up strength in the evening and into Wednesday before decreasing, and red-flag warnings now up from Central California to the Mexican border will remain through most of Wednesday, weather service meteorologist Ariel Cohen said. Packed and ready to go […]