FEMA administrator warns winds could make wildfires 'dangerous and strong again’
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on Sunday warned that winds could worsen the wildfires in the coming days, as she urged residents to heed public advisories to stay far away from their homes.
“What I'm hearing right now is that the winds are potentially getting dangerous and strong again. I believe the red flag warnings have been put back in place, and so I think the biggest thing that people need to know is that this is still dangerous, and they still need to make sure they're listening to their local officials so they can keep themselves safe,” Criswell said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” when asked about the state of wildfires.
She warned that wildfires become unpredictable when the winds start to pick up, making it especially important to exercise caution.
“I know that so many people probably want to get back into the area and check on their homes, but with the winds picking back up, it's just, you never know which way they're going to go,” Criswell said.
“So they really need to pay attention, listen to what's going on, so they don't get in harm's way, and our firefighters can continue to do the great work that they've been doing to try to contain this fire,” she added.
Asked what she expects to happen in the next few days, Criswell said, “It all depends on the weather,” adding that firefighters are “working day in and day out.”
"There are resources that are out there, but if the weather changes, it creates different conditions. It's going to change the environment with which they're operating under. Again, the most important piece is keeping them safe as they try to protect all the homes that are in the path of the fire."
The death toll from the southern California wildfires reached 16 as of Saturday night, with five deaths caused by the Palisades Fire and 11 caused by the Eaton Fire, according to an update from the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
As of Sunday morning, the Palisades Fire was only 11 percent contained and burned 23,654 acres. The Eaton Fire was only 15 percent contained and burned 14,117 acres.