A new high wind warning has been issued in Los Angeles (LA), the largest city on the U.S. West Coast, where ongoing wildfires have persisted for a week, complicating firefighting efforts.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a red flag warning for LA County and Ventura County on January 13, emphasizing that the situation is classified as a "Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS)."

The NWS stated that winds were growing stronger on Monday and forecasted gusts of 89 to 113 km/h (55–70 mph) in some areas between 4:00 a.m. on January 14 (Tuesday) and noon on January 15 (Wednesday).

Winds are expected to blow predominantly from the northeast and east, with humidity levels in the region ranging between 10% and 20%, heightening the risk of fires, according to the NWS.

Although the NWS noted that this round of winds is not expected to be as strong or destructive as last week's, it warned that Ventura County would likely experience stronger impacts than the coastal winds from the previous week. Considering the notorious tendency of "Santa Ana" winds to intensify at night, the most critical periods are anticipated to be from Monday night to Tuesday morning and from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.

There is also a significant risk of new wildfires igniting in areas beyond those already affected.

At a press briefing on Monday morning, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone remarked, "Critical fire weather conditions are expected to persist through Wednesday (January 15)."

Fire officials noted that over the weekend, weaker winds temporarily allowed for modest progress in firefighting efforts.

As of 8:00 a.m. Monday, the "Palisades Fire" in western LA County’s Pacific Palisades was 14% contained, and the "Eaton Fire" in the eastern inland area was 33% contained, both slight improvements from the previous day (11% and 27% containment, respectively).

The "Hearst Fire" in northern San Fernando Valley, which burned an area of 3.2 square kilometers, is now 95% contained, while two smaller wildfires have been fully extinguished.

Nevertheless, over 92,000 people remain under evacuation orders, with an additional 89,000 advised to prepare for potential evacuation.

Since the Palisades Fire began on January 7, it has burned 96 square kilometers, while the Eaton Fire has scorched 57.1 square kilometers, for a combined total of 153.1 square kilometers. This area is over 34 times the size of Yeouido (4.5 square kilometers) and more than a quarter the size of Seoul (605.2 square kilometers).

So far, authorities have confirmed 24 deaths, with 8 in the Palisades Fire region and 16 in the Eaton Fire area. There have been 23 missing persons reports filed.

The number of buildings destroyed by the wildfires is estimated at over 12,000.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) told CNN that clearing debris from the fire-affected areas is expected to take more than six months.

Meanwhile, crimes such as looting continue to plague wildfire-stricken areas.

The Los Angeles Police Department reported arresting 14 individuals for violations such as nighttime curfew breaches in evacuation zones, theft, impersonation of firefighters, and vandalism. The LA County Sheriff’s Department also arrested 34 individuals on charges including illegal drone flights.

Additionally, LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced investigations into fraudulent activities, including price gouging by lodging and medical supply businesses and scams where individuals posed as relief workers to steal donations.