'Extremely critical' risk as winds whip fire-weary Los Angeles

Fire-weary southern California was buffeted Monday by dangerous winds, with forecasters warning of an "extremely critical" risk in a region already staggering from the devastation of horrifying blazes.

Firefighters continued to make progress snuffing out fires that ravaged 40,000 acres (16,000 hectares) in the Los Angeles area after erupting on 7 January and killing at least 27 people.

However, a return of the hurricane-force winds responsible for spreading those initial fires threatened more danger.

Winds gusting up to 88 miles (142 kilometres) an hour have been recorded in some spots, where forecasters said they could again combine with exceedingly dry conditions to create the potential for more fast-spreading fires.

"We're expecting this to continue to create extremely critical fire weather conditions across the region," Ariel Cohen of the National Weather Service (NWS) told AFP.

"Any fires that form could grow explosively. And so this is a particularly dangerous situation."

Officials said they had pre-deployed engines and firefighters to areas at risk, after facing criticism that they were unprepared earlier this month.

"I believe that we will be very, very prepared for what the worst possible case scenario (could be) over the next couple of days, and then hopefully we don't get there at all," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told reporters.

The largest conflagration, the Palisades Fire, was 59% contained by Monday (20 January), and the area affected by evacuation orders has now shrunk to effectively match the fire's footprint.

The Eaton Fire, which wrecked a large part of the Altadena area, was 87% contained.

- No 'magical spigot' -

As Los Angeles grapples with the scale of the devastation, political bickering has intensified.

Donald Trump, who was sworn in as US president on Monday, has said he will be visiting the fire-ravaged areas at the end of the week.

That trip could include an awkward encounter with California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has been the target of Trump's barbs over his handling of the disaster.

Moments after being sworn in as the 47th president, Trump again side-swiped California's Democratic leadership.

"We are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defence," he said.

"We can't let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That's going to change," he added, musing it was "interesting" that some wealthy people had lost their homes.

Newsom did not directly address the gibe but offered an open hand to the newly installed president.

"This moment underscores the critical need for partnership, a shared commitment to facts, and mutual respect -- values that enable civil discourse, effective governance, and meaningful action," he wrote on social media.

"I look forward to President Trump's visit to Los Angeles and his mobilization of the full weight of the federal government to help our fellow Americans recover and rebuild."

While the immediate cause of the fires is not yet known, scientists say humanity's behaviour is altering weather patterns, making them more volatile, which can increase the destructiveness of any blaze.

Southern California has had no significant rain for around eight months, even though it is well into what is usually the rainy season.

Officials have cautioned that if rain does materialize, it could create dangerous debris flows in the disaster zone and spark mudflows and hill collapses.