CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES

States with a smaller population than Los Angeles County
Via Jim Lowenstern

Private firefighters being used in LA

 CNN - At least 24 people have died and dozens are missing as firefighters continue to battle the deadly Los Angeles wildfires. It’s been less than a week since the year’s first wildfire embers raced through the air over LA, carried by hurricane-level Santa Ana winds to spark some of the deadliest wildfires California has ever seen. The Palisades Fire started Tuesday, and by the end of Wednesday, it had burned more than 17,000 acres. Now, with the Palisades blaze and the nearby Eaton fire still mostly uncontained, renewed Santa Ana winds threaten to enlarge those blazes or even start new ones. Winds are expected to slightly increase through today and could gust between 45-55 mph. That’s put nearly eight million people under critical fire weather, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

NBC News -The Santa Ana winds are expected to keep the fire threat high until Wednesday evening, according to officials. Take a look at the current size and status of the fires.