LA braces for more fire evacuations as experts warn of new ‘dangerous weather situation’

Region faces extreme fire risk' warnings and significant risk of rapid fire spread' as official death toll expected to rise

As forecasters warn of another particularly dangerous weather situation" across northern Los Angeles, residents braced for new wildfire evacuation orders, even as the official death toll from last week's fires in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades was expected to rise.

Los Angeles, and parts of Ventura county to the north, faced extreme fire risk" warnings through Wednesday, with officials warning of significant risk of rapid fire spread" due to the Santa Ana winds - which have gusts of up to 75mph - . The particularly dangerous weather situation" designation is used very rarely, and was designed by meteorologists to signal the extreme of the extremes". The winds were predicted to reach near hurricane-force in some areas.