With gusty winds blowing across the Southland and raising the risk of wildfires, the Los Angeles Fire Department increased staffing at 11 stations and deployed teams to fire-sensitive areas to ensure they can respond quickly if any blazes erupt.
According to the LAFD, additional staffing has been sent to stations in Tujunga, Mission Hills, Chatsworth, Reseda, Pacific Palisades, Glassell Park, Palms, Century City, Echo Park, Lincoln Heights and Central City East.
The department has also moved 10 engines from traditionally low-fire- danger neighborhoods to more sensitive areas. The “mobile strike teams” were deployed to the central San Fernando Valley and Hollywood Hills. Three more engines were sent to stations in Bel Air, Sylmar and West Hills.
Meanwhile, a Brush Patrol Strike Team, including four-wheel-drive firefighting vehicles, were deployed to the southern San Fernando Valley, along with two 2,500-gallon water tenders to stations in Sun Valley and Sherman Oaks.
A red flag warning, indicating that conditions are ripe for wildfires, will be in effect from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday for Los Angeles County mountains and the Angeles National Forest, according to the National Weather Service.
—City News Service