The Getty Fire that has destroyed at least a dozen structures in west Los Angeles and caused thousands of evacuations was sparked by a eucalyptus tree branch that fell on power lines early Monday morning, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday.
The power lines are operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the agency's general manager, Marty Adams, said brush was cleared in the area in July. Garcetti told reporters the branch came from outside of that space, and the incident was "an act of God." As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire was only 15 percent contained.
The National Weather Service's office in Oxnard, California, issued an "extreme red flag" warning on Tuesday, an alert so serious that meteorologists told the Los Angeles Times they can't recall ever using the term before. Starting on Tuesday night, Los Angeles is expected to experience 30 hours of high winds, with isolated wind gusts of up to 80 mph. This would be the worst wind to hit in more than a decade, and if it knocked down power lines, it could be disastrous in these dry conditions.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Is Europe finally taking the war to Russia?Today's Big Question As Moscow’s drone buzzes and cyberattacks increase, European leaders are taking a more openly aggressive stance
-
How coupling up became cringeTalking Point For some younger women, going out with a man – or worse, marrying one – is distinctly uncool
-
The rapid-fire brilliance of Tom StoppardIn the Spotlight The 88-year-old was a playwright of dazzling wit and complex ideas
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
