Cars, gardens, houses and backyard pools have all been bathed in flame retardant to keep the fires at bay. (Reuters: Ringo Chiu )
The deadly winds that helped spread fire across large parts of Los Angeles and reduced neighbourhoods to ashes are tipped to return in a matter of hours.
But this time, firefighters say, they're ready for them.
Houses, cars, businesses and hillsides have been blanketed with hot pink fire retardant, dropped over the city by water-bombing aircraft.
Thousands of litres of the substance have been dropped in the last week.
The powder, called Phos-Chek, stops the spread of fire by depleting it of oxygen and changing the composition of plant matter to make it less flammable.
The US Forest Service only allows it to be used over waterways and areas where endangered species live only when human life is at risk, due to potential health risks.
The hillsides have been blanketed with the powder as firefighters work to cut containment lines. (Reuters: Ringo Chiu )
The bright pink and red dyes are a visual aid for firefighters.
Red flag warnings have also been issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for large parts of the California coastline.
Wind gusts of up to 112 kilometres per hour are forecast from early Tuesday local time onwards.
Plants and houses have also been covered. (Reuters: Carlos Barria )
The retardant works to make plants and other objects less flammable. (Reuter: Carlos Barria)
"Red flag warnings are for the extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios," the NWS wrote on X.
"In other words, this set up is about as bad as it gets.
"Stay aware of your surroundings. Be prepared to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire."
As of Monday morning, the two largest fires had burned through more than 15,000 hectares.
At least 24 people have been killed and according to officials a further 23 people are missing.
The death toll is expected to climb.
Evacuation orders are still in place for more than 90,000 residents and still more are on stand-by for evacuation.
The powder can be washed off once the fire is under control. (Reuters: Carlos Barria )
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged people to be ready to leave.
"As the winds pick up, please heed the calls to evacuate," she said.
In some neighbourhoods, homes and gardens have been blanketed from above. (Reuters: Carlos Barria )
Backyard pools have been turned vibrant pinks and reds by the retardant. (Getty Images: Justin Sullivan )
The winds would also mean the aircraft designed to dump water and retardant on impacted areas would be unable to get off the ground, making the current push to blanket the city even more important.
A California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told media on Monday local time, the wind would also impact the accuracy of any drop made by the plane.
Roads have also been covered in an attempt to slow the flames. (Getty Images: Jason Ryan/Nurphoto)
"So each aircraft will have that limitation based on the manufacturer's recommendation," the worker, who was not named by local media, said.
"And then as far as the safety component, usually the limiting factor is gusts over 30 miles an hour [48.2kph].
"But the sustained winds, anything over 40 is pretty much going to ground most aircraft."
