Los Angelinos Brace for Return of Intense Winds

With tens of thousands of acres already burned, residents and firefighters in Los Angeles are bracing for the return of more strong winds that will hit the area from Tuesday through Wednesday.

Large areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties could be hit with gusts of 50 to 70 mph the next two days, as the seasonal Santa Ana winds started up again after a few days of calm, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS has a "red-flag warning" in place for much of the surrounding areas, calling it a "particularly dangerous situation" and leaving residents on edge that new fires could reignite and previously contained ones could expand.

As of Tuesday morning, the two main fires ravaging Los Angeles, Palisades and Eaton, have consumed more than 37,000 acres, destroyed over 12,000 structures, killed at least 24 people, and forced almost 200,000 others to evacuate their homes. Early estimates with multiple fires still raging have put the damages at more than $250 billion.

"This setup is about as bad as it gets," Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told local residents. "We are not in the clear."

Over the night, more than 8,500 firefighters from around the country battled the two main fires from the air and the ground hoping to prevent any further spreading. Many Los Angelinos have had to lean on their neighbors after losing everything.

"We thank God we're safe, but we don't know what's next," Altadena resident John Adolph, 48, told CNBC on Tuesday. Adolph, along with his wife and two children, have been staying with friends since they lost their home in the Eaton fire a week ago. When he went back to try to see what else he could salvage, Adolph could not get close to where the house once stood.

"There were burning grocery stores, gas stations, exploding cars that went pop with glass flying, not like in the movies. Walls of flames two stories tall, tornadoes of flame. I was stupid with a side of crazy to try," he said.

By Tuesday afternoon, the Palisades fire was only 14% contained, with the Eaton fire fairing slightly better at 33% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

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