Meteorologist who predicted LA wildfires and saved hundreds reveals what he’s worried about next

Some may think that the worst of the wildfires are over but people still have to exercise caution.

PUBLISHED 12 HOURS AGO

A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire while it burns homes at Pacific Coast Highway amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.(Cover image source: Getty Images | Apu Gomez)

Climate change is leading to devastating disasters across the globe and the LA wildfires are just a sign that things are getting worse. Edgar McGregor, an Altadena-based meteorologist, had already predicted the hellish conditions that have gripped the city and has warned that the crisis is far from over. McGregor believes that Los Angeles is at risk from more disasters that will follow.

The 24-year-old posts weather updates on his social media handles where he had warned residents to be prepared for evacuation during the night at a moment’s notice. Now hundreds credit him with potentially saving their lives. "I haven't even been able to process that mentally,” he said as per UNILAD. “So people are sending me all these comments and I'm thinking to myself, I just did my job," he added.

Let me make something clear:

If a wildfire breaks out, it will not be stopped. Firefighters cannot fight fires in these conditions. There will be no helicopters or planes dropping phos-cheks. There will be no structure protection. There will be no hand crews cutting lines.

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— Edgar McGregor (@edgarrmcgregor) January 7, 2025

He had realized that the Santa Ana winds, also known as the ‘devil winds’, and the dry conditions of the area made it a dangerous situation. He claimed to have an idea of what could happen on December 30 but didn’t expect things to unfold so quickly. "I told people, if a wildfire breaks out, there'll be a thousand homes burned down. This would be cataclysmic,” he said.

However, McGregor believes that there could be another potential disaster around the corner. "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,” he pointed out. "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," the young scientist added.

Hurricane-force winds sustained at 75 MPH, gusting to 100 MPH were recorded by weather stations on the mountain faces above Pasadena and Altadena that night.

There is no stopping a wildfire in hurricane conditions.

Santa Anas are the meanest winds on Planet Earth. https://t.co/VdbM0tK1ml
— Edgar McGregor (@edgarrmcgregor) January 13, 2025

The fires have ravaged many homes and businesses but there might be some respite for now. The winds carried the flames several miles, causing all the chaos, but the good news is that the winds have been predicted to ease up.

"Good news: We are expecting a much-needed break from the fire weather concerns to close this week. Bad News: Next week is a concern. While confident that we will NOT see a repeat of last week, dangerous fire weather conditions are expected,” the National Weather Service said according to VOA.

The fires that are still raging are yet to be contained and according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 21% of the Palisades fire had been controlled as of Wednesday after it had burned 96 square kilometers. The Eaton fire was 45% contained after burning through 57 square kilometers.

Firefighters from Canada and Mexico have also joined in to help their neighbors as a whopping 82,000 people have been evacuated. Reports suggest that an estimated 12,000 homes were burned and the death toll currently stands at 25. But that number is expected to go up considering the fact that there are several people who are still missing.