‘Extremely critical’ risk as winds whip fire-weary Los Angeles

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 Jan. 7 and killing at least 27 people.

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