Meteorologist who saved hundreds with early warning about LA wildfires reveals what he’s concerned about next
A climate scientist who saved hundreds of lives with his warning about the LA wildfires has revealed that he thinks there's still more yet to come.
Eight wildfires have spread across Los Angeles from January 2, leading to thousands of homes and businesses being destroyed and hundreds of thousands of residents having to evacuate the area, including a few celebrities.
According to the LA County Medical Examiner's Office, at least 24 people have died, however, this is predicted to rise as 16 people are confirmed to be missing, the BBC reports.
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The situation is forecast to get worse too, with the return of 'devil winds', or the Santa Ana winds, fanning the flames while four major fires continue to burn in Palisades, Eaton and Hurst, LBC further reports.
A local meteorologist, Edgar McGregor, from Altadena, had since been crowned a local hero for potentially saving hundreds of lives after taking to social media to warn people before the fires started.
The 24-year-old posts hyper-local weather updates to his Facebook page, Altadena Weather and Climate, and warned LA residents on Tuesday (January 7) not to go to sleep and be prepared to evacuate at a moment's notice.
Speaking to PEOPLE, McGregor said: "I haven't even been able to process that mentally.
"I didn't run into a burning building and get third-degree burns trying to save someone's life. So people are sending me all these comments and I'm thinking to myself, I just did my job."
The scientist said that he realized the Santa Ana winds coupled with the dry conditions presented a recipe for disaster, saying: "I knew on December 30th that when this windstorm hit, the conditions would be carbon copies of the conditions that were on the ground in Lahaina, Hawaii, and in Paradise, which both were completely leveled and lost around a hundred people each.
"I told people, if a wildfire breaks out, there'll be a thousand homes burned down. This would be cataclysmic."
Now, the local weather star has revealed what he's most concerned about next - which he thinks could be a disaster heading for Hollywood and Santa Barbara.
McGregor explained to the outlet: "I think for the most part the immediate threat is over.
"The next couple of windstorms are not going to be all that impressive, especially not compared to what we saw on Tuesday. But it still hasn't rained.
"So in the next couple of weeks, if we get another major windstorm, it could be Hollywood that faces disaster next. Santa Barbara. Any of these foothill towns. And then when it rains, we have the mudslides to get through."
He added: "What I'm saying is, this is not over yet."
McGregor also picks and disposes of trash from the Eaton Canyon, which gave him a clue that something was amiss as he noticed the dry canyon was full of wildfire 'fuel' like dead trees, adding: "I knew this was coming. I certainly didn't think January was the month it would occur, but I hope that I did my job in warning everybody."
What we know so far about the LA wildfires:
2 January
The first warning
The US' National Weather Service issued a warning of potential strong Santa Ana winds and extreme fire conditions five days before the first wildfire broke out.
In the following days, a Fire Weather Watch warning was issued, as well as state and local officials giving warnings to the Los Angeles area.
7 January
The first fire ignites
The Palisade's Fire ignites, triggering an emergency call to be sent to LA residents advising people near the fire to get set for 'a potential evacuation'.
Later that day, however, the City of Santa Monica issued an Evacuation Order for all areas of the city north of San Vicente: "Evacuation Order: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW."
Two more wildfires begin
Just hours after the first wildfire ignites, the second - named the Eaton Fire - breaks out in the Altadena area of LA.
And following this, the Hurst Fire ignites in LA's Sylmar area as the National Weather Service report gusts of 99mph. A new evacuation order goes out to those in the affected areas as the blazes rapidly spread, scorching and destroying thousands of acres that contain homes and businesses.
9 January
Prison inmates deployed to help fight fires
Hundreds of incarcerated men and women were deployed to help fight the growing wildfires, with the number of inmates at the frontline standing at 939, the BBC reports.
This practice isn't uncommon in California, as it is one of 14 US states that uses inmates to help fight fires. Inmates aren't forced to take part and do so on their own accord, with it being reported they are being paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day.
However, inmates with certain convictions - such as arson and sexual offences - aren't eligible to volunteer.
10 January
Man arrested for arson
Three days on from the first fire igniting, the LAPD make an arrest after local residents claim that a man on a bike carrying a large blow torch had been trying to set bins and old Christmas trees on fire.
Authorities believe the Kenneth Fire was started intentionally, with the man believed to be responsible being held in custody.
Billion dollar energy company investigated over possible link to wildfires
Southern California Edison, a subsidiary of energy giant Edison International, admitted that its grid experienced a short circuit issue on 7th January, the evening the first fires broke out.
"On January 10, Southern California Edison (SCE) filed an Electric Safety Incident Report (ESIR) related to the Hurst Fire once SCE learned fire agencies are investigating whether SCE equipment was involved in the ignition, which is a triggering event for reporting," Edison International said in a press release.
"SCE noted that the fire was reported at approximately 10:10pm on 7 January, and preliminary information reflects the Eagle Rock - Sylmar 220 kV circuit experienced a relay at 10:11pm. A downed powerline was discovered at a tower associated with the Eagle Rock - Sylmar 220 kV circuit. SCE does not know whether the damage observed occurred before or after the start of the fire."
A-list celebrities forced out of their homes
A number of celebrities have been forced to evacuate their homes, many of which have been destroyed. This includes the likes of Paris Hilton, Miles Teller, Anna Faris, Billy Crystal and Eugene Levy.
13 January
40,000 acres of land destroyed
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, more than 40,000 acres have been burned in the Eaton, Palisades, Kenneth and Hurst fires.
Homes and businesses are among the more than 12,000 structures that have been destroyedla fir
The death toll rises
Almost a week on from the first fire starting, 24 people have been confirmed by the LA County medical examiner to have died as a result of the blazes.
Officials also confirmed that at least another 23 people remain missing.
Topics: Climate Change, Los Angeles, Wildfires, California, US News, Weather, Environment, Social Media, Facebook, Science
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