The wildfire has burned an area more than twice the size of San Francisco and destroyed nearly 60 homes. Six days after the fire ignited, firefighters were scrambling to put out hot spots in hopes of getting an upper hand before wind gusts reaching as high as 50 mph are forecast to kick in again.
In Southern California, where high winds fueled the Getty Fire in the early morning hours, authorities are manning their fire lines with additional personnel ahead of an expected major wind event.
On Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued its first-ever "extreme red flag warning" for much of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The warning predicts "damaging wind gusts between 50 and 70 mph," isolated gusts that could hit 80 mph and extremely low humidity.
"This all adds up to an extreme fire weather threat, meaning that conditions are as dangerous for fire growth and behavior as we have seen in recent memory," the National Weather Service said in the warning. The warning lasts from 11 p.m. PT Tuesday to 6 p.m. Thursday.
The Getty Fire began when a tree branch was blown into a power line, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. Garcetti emphasized that the fire was accidental, and not caused by faulty equipment.
"We have concluded ... that this fire started when a tree branch fell on power lines, causing them to spark and begin this fire," Garcetti said. Garcetti added that he saw dashcam footage showing what he believes to be the moment the fire began
"This was, simply put, in plain parlance, an act of God," Garcetti said. "The wind broke off the tree branch, threw that tree branch, because of the strong winds, far enough to cause a spark off a line that's still intact there."
Investigators from the Los Angeles Fire Department's (LAFD) Arson-Counterterrorism Section analyzed burn patterns, interviewed witnesses, and gathered physical evidence. The group determined that the fire likely originated on the 1800 block of North Sepulveda Boulevard, although it's unclear who owns the property on which the fire began.
The Getty Fire in Southern California grew to 656 acres as of 5 p.m. local time, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a Tuesday press conference. The fire, which has destroyed at least 12 homes, is now 15% contained.
Fire officials urged residents to prepare for what Garcetti described as the "most significant wind event in Los Angeles of the year." The wind will begin around 11 p.m. local time, and peak at approximately 3 a.m. Wednesday morning.
"It does take one ember -- just one ember -- downwind to start another brush fire," said Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas. Terrazas urged residents to register for alerts in case the fires spread.
Governor Gavin Newsom said that in the past 24 hours, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has taken down 324 fires. "I'm a very proud governor, because I'm very proud of this state and its resiliency," he said.
Newsom also announced that PG&E will be crediting customers for the power disruption. But he harshly criticized for the duration and amount of power outages, describing the blackouts as the consequence of "decades of a utility that didn't focus on you and public safety, but focused on shareholders."
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