FEMA administrator says L.A. officials were very prepared for wildfires, but they have never seen 100-mile-an-hour winds
Source: CBS News
Updated on: January 12, 2025 / 11:51 AM EST
Washington — FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said Sunday that L.A. officials were "very prepared" for devastating wildfires, noting that the area is prone to fires. But "they have never seen 100-mile-an-hour winds that are fueling the fire," she said.
"Those winds and that weather condition is what really impacts, you know, where this fire is going to go, but more importantly, how they're able to try to contain it in those first few hours and days," Criswell said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
Communities in Los Angeles have been engulfed in wildfires in recent days, which have killed at least 16 people, destroyed more than 12,000 structures, and displaced thousands, officials said. The high winds that fanned flames in recent days are expected to pick up again this week.
The FEMA administrator said she doesn't have any information on the cause of the wildfires at this time, though she noted that will be investigated. She urged as the winds are expected to return, she wants people to "make sure that they are listening closely to what local officials are saying" to stay out of harm's way.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fema-administrator-deanne-criswell-los-angeles-wildfires-pacific-palisades/
Full headline: FEMA administrator says L.A. officials were "very prepared" for wildfires, but "they have never seen 100-mile-an-hour winds"
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I was a reporter going to cover a story at a local community college when I saw the huge plume of smoke, so the photographer and I made a snap decision to cover the fire instead. When we reached a cafe at Barrett Junction at the base of a mountain, we watched in horror as the fire exploded over the top from Potrero, where it had started.
A Cal Fire guy at the Cal Fire base camp shouted "Run! Run for your lives!" Even Hell's Angels ran for their motorcycles and hauled ass out of there.
As I drove out along the 2-lane highway, we could see the fire advancing behind us, literrally burning up the highway behind us. Scariest damn thing I've ever seen. That fire burned for nearly 2 weeks, scorched 90,000 acres, and joined with several other massive fires that collectively burned over 368,000 acres and destroyed or damaged 1,350 homes and 100 businesses, also fueling evacuation of more than half a million people.
You cannot even imagine how fast a wildfire fueled by 100 mph hurricane force winds can advance--there is absolutely nothing that can stop it, since planes can't fly in such high winds. Here are photos, taken moments before the flames roared down the mountainside and we were told to run for our lives:
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Deanne Criswell
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deanne_Criswell
