UPDATE 6 p.m.
The Critics Choice Awards delayed the 30th annual ceremony for a second time on Tuesday amid the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires. The move comes nearly one week since the first delay was announced. A date for the ceremony will be confirmed later, a person with knowledge of the situation tells TheWrap.
UPDATE 4:30 p.m.
The National Weather Service paused its “particularly dangerous situation” warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties Tuesday afternoon when the fierce Santa Ana winds, with expected gusts of 70 mph or more, failed to materialize. But it was more of a postponement than a cancelation, as the winds were expected to pick back up before dawn Wednesday.
UPDATE 2 p.m.:
Two new fires fueled by onrushing Santa Ana winds have broken out in Riverside County, prompting emergency evacuations. Riverside Fire Department Division Chief Michael Staley said the Scout Fire had burned two acres by 1 p.m. with the potential to spread to five. The evacuation area included Riverside Community Hospital and the fire was not contained.
Further inland and to the south, the Stone Fire began in Hemet around noon and was contained an hour later, local fire officials said.
UPDATE 12 p.m.:
Mayor Karen Bass on Monday announced an executive order to speed up rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles. Executive Order 1 aims to streamline city permitting processes by requiring agencies to complete project reviews within 30 days, among other changes like waived zoning hearings. It does come with some conditions: Applications must be complete, and property owners cannot increase the size of their home or business by more than 10%.
Bass also said she was tackling bureaucracy that was holding back as much as 1,200 rental units in the city.
“We’ve got to get past this red tape,” Bass said at a Tuesday news conference. “It hurts people.”
PREVIOUSLY TUESDAY:
Another pitched battle between a fully mobilized, multi-agency firefighting force and the historic blazes that have devastated Los Angeles was on the brink of crescendo late Tuesday morning, as fierce winds were poised to thrash the area anew with gusts up to 70 mph following a period of relative calm.
The Santa Ana winds that sparked the monstrous fires one week ago had relented over the past few days, giving crews a chance to gain a foothold on containment that eluded them during the historic bluster. That tranquil state continued into Tuesday morning, with nothing more than single-digit mph breezes flowing over Southern California. But things were about to shift dramatically.
“The worst winds are predicted today for late afternoon and into Wednesday,” LAFD chief Anthony Marrone said in a Tuesday morning press conference. “The Los Angeles area is prepared. The continued winds with low humidity … will keep the area critical.”
The National Weather Service issued a “particularly dangerous situation” warning for Los Angeles and Ventura Counties for Tuesday and Wednesday. That designation is held for only the most extreme conditions; destructive fires erupted during each of the previous three such warnings this season, including the Mountain (Ventura County) and Franklin (Malibu) fires, as well as the Palisades and Eaton fires.
As of Tuesday morning, the Palisades Fire was 17% contained, up from 14% on Monday. It had burned 23,713 acres and 5,300 homes, businesses and landmarks. The Eaton Fire was 35% contained, up from 33%. Officials estimate more than 7,000 structures have been destroyed.
A smaller brush fire came up overnight Monday in Ventura County, where firefighters battled the 56-acre Auto fire. Firefighters said they were making progress but still reported 0% containment.
Officials say 24 people are confirmed dead, with another 34 reported missing.
More to come …
