A dangerous windstorm starting Tuesday could bring widespread destruction and extreme fire risk to Southern California, with emergency services braced to provide a huge response.
The National Weather Service issued a critical fire risk alert for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, with the storm beginning on Tuesday afternoon and peaking early Wednesday. Winds will be above 60 mph and gusts could reach 80 to 100 mph in mountains and foothills.
Warm Santa Ana winds and very low humidity have created the perfect conditions for spreading fire, and authorities are taking no chances.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday he would preemptively mobilize state resources to tackle the storm, including assigning 65 fire engines, seven water tenders, seven helicopters and 109 specialized workers.
“We are no strangers to winter-time wildfire threats, so I ask all Californians to pay attention to local authorities and be prepared to evacuate if told to go,” Newsom said.
The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles issued a stark warning: “Strong winds are coming. This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation — in other words, this is about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather,” the service said.
The NWS urged people not just to stay inside but to stay away from windows during the storm.
The City of Los Angeles warned residents of a “destructive, widespread, and potentially life-threatening windstorm” that will likely down trees and sever power connections. Fire-prone areas should be ready to evacuate, including the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood Hills.
“We really haven’t seen a season as dry as this one follow a season as wet as the previous one,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California, Los Angeles, told a livestream Monday.
“All of that extra abundant growth of grass and vegetation followed immediately by a wind event of this magnitude while it’s still so incredibly dry,” he said.
Energy company San Diego Gas & Energy said it could turn off the power to almost 65,000 customers as a precaution.
Dry Santa Ana winds have been a driving force behind warmer-than-usual temperatures and repeated red flag fire warnings.
