Car narrowly escapes fast-approaching wildfire flames

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Updated Oct. 22, 2019 4:47 PM

As dramatic footage emerges of people fleeing flames encroaching hillside homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, meteorologists are warning that dry air, heat and a wind event will provide the recipe for 'critical' fire weather conditions much of this week.

News chopper footage showed people fleeing on foot and a car backing away as flames raced through a Los Angeles neighborhood on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. (ABC News)

The Palisades Fire charred more than 40 acres in Los Angles on Monday, prompting evacuations of 200 homes in the affluent Pacific Palisades area. The Los Angeles Fire Department later lifted mandatory evacuations as the fire was 10% contained on Monday evening. However, two people were injured, including one firefighter who sustained injuries while battling the blaze and a resident who suffered respiratory distress, according to CNN.

A Palisades resident talks with a firefighter before evacuating her home as a wildfire erupts in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa)

Fire weather watches and heat advisories are in effect for portions of Northern and Southern California.

As the heightened fire risk looms, Pacific Gas and Electric has announced possible power outages for hundreds of thousands of customers across 15 counties to help mitigate the wildfire risk.

The greatest threat for wildfire ignition and spread will arrive on Wednesday and persist through Friday as hot winds rip across California, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.

In some cases, the relative humidity will dip to under 10%, while temperatures surge into the 70s, 80s and 90s F.

"In Northern California, the worst conditions from north to northeast winds will be from Wednesday to Thursday," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck.

"In Southern California, the worst conditions from northeast will be from late Wednesday night through Friday," Smerbeck said.

The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles also warned that the fire threat will be 'critical' on Thursday and Friday, tweeting that "very rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior could threaten life/property," as "very dry fuels" are present.

In most areas of California, winds will average 15-25 mph with frequent gusts between 40 and 50 mph.

AccuWeather StormMax™ wind gusts to 60 mph will tend to occur in north- to northeast-facing canyons and passes, as well as over hilltops and ridges.

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"The strong winds will be set up by a dip in the jet stream centered over the Four Corners region and an area of high pressure the builds inland from the Pacific Ocean and settles over the Great Basin," according to AccuWeather Chief Video Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.

"The two weather systems will create a strong north to northwest flow of air aloft that will translate down to the surface in the form of gusty winds," Rayno said.

There is no indication of a storm with enough moisture to bring appreciable rain to much of California through the first few days of November.

As a result, the risk of wildfires will exist on a daily basis, while episodes of strong winds will periodically raise that threat to critical levels over the next couple of weeks.

Palisades residents flee the area as a wildfire erupts in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa)

While this is prime wildfire season in California, conditions are being made worse by the extra growth of brush from last winter's rainfall. That brush has dried up as the North American monsoon brought practically no rain to California this summer.

People in fire-prone areas are urged to heed evacuation orders for their community when they are given. As a precaution, have valuable papers and heirlooms packed and ready to go. Remember to take your pets with you.

Use extreme caution with open flames and outdoor power equipment.

Never toss burning cigarettes out of vehicles.

Never park a vehicle over brush as the exhaust system is hot enough to catch that brush on fire.

Make sure tree limbs are not coming in contact with overhead wires. If so, have a professional trim the branches to reduce the risk of sparks as soon as possible.

Be vigilant and immediately report suspicious activity to local police.

Download the free AccuWeather app to see the latest forecast and official National Weather Service fire weather advisories for your region. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.