Task force investigates LA wildfires cause, fire crews point to unprecedented conditions

(FOX 9) - The historic wildfires in Los Angeles County raged on Monday and have claimed at least a couple of dozen lives and thousands of homes.

Fire crews slow spread, strong winds threaten progress

Palisades and Eaton Fires:

The two largest fires, Palisades and Eaton, have scorched nearly 40,000 acres, and both are partially contained. As of Monday evening, the Palisades Fire was at 14% containment and Eaton Fire was at 33% containment.

READ MORE: LA fires update: Fierce winds set to return as death toll reaches 24

Unprecedented fire behavior:

There are a lot more questions than answers at this point. However, fire crews are providing some insights into some of the factors that made this fire behavior possible.

Firefighters called the conditions they were up against in the early hours of both the Palisades and Eaton fires unprecedented.

"This event is so different than the rest because the Santa Ana winds are so extreme and so strong. We had gusts up to 80–90 miles an hour last night, whereas a normal Santa Ana event stays at 40 miles an hour consistently. It was just like hurricane force winds," said Brent Pascua, Cal Fire Battalion Chief.

Fierce, erratic winds outpaced ground crews and initially grounded air support in the critical early stages of the two largest fires that broke out nearly a week ago.

"There were dozens of fires starting just from the embers that were being thrown blocks and miles ahead of the fire," said Chad Augustin, Pasadena Fire Chief. "It’s unfortunate, with the wind gusts we had up to 70 mph winds, they had to ground their aircraft."

Extreme dry conditions added fuel to the fire.

"The last figure I heard was over 260 days without rain over here, so it's very dry, and the fuel bed is very receptive," said Don Fregulia, Operations Section Chief.

Strong winds resume:

Now, as crews actively work to fully contain the wildfires, another wind event over the next couple of days threatens progress made.

"Severe weather conditions will continue through Wednesday. Please be assured the Los Angeles County Department is prepared, and we are anticipating winds, and low humidity, and low moisture, which will be a threat to the Los Angeles County area," said Deputy Fire Chief Robert Harris of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

ATF leading investigation:

Authorities are working around the clock to not only fight the fires but also to understand the cause of this catastrophe.

A task force led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating all possibilities to determine the cause and point of origin of the fires.

What you can do:

Get the latest Cal Fire information on the fires here.