Firefighters prepare for increasing gusts following brief reprieve for LA area

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters in Southern California readied for another round of critical fire weather after calmer than expected winds Tuesday gave them a much-needed reprieve in which they were able to make progress battling the Los Angeles area’s largest blaze and quickly snuff out several smaller new fires.
With winds not reaching dangerous levels Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service pushed back its dire warning of critical fire weather until 3 a.m. Wednesday. The so-