Santa Ana Winds Raise Fire Danger In San Diego County

SAN DIEGO — The first Santa Ana windstorm of the fall will elevate fire danger and other public safety hazards Thursday and Friday in parts of San Diego County.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning that will be in effect from noon Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday for the county's inland valleys and mountains due to critical fire weather conditions.

A ridge of high pressure settling over the Great Basin in Nevada and Utah will churn up offshore winds expected to be particularly fierce in mountains and passes, according to the National Weather Service.

Winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour are forecast across the county, with isolated gusts as high as 60 miles per hour near coastal mountain slopes, weather officials said. Humidity will drop to 5 to 10 percent Thursday and remain around 5 percent Friday.

Fire season is year-round in the county, but Cal Fire and San Diego County Fire officials said there is an increased risk in the fall months when brush and grasses are dried out and there are strong Santa Ana winds.

County officials warned residents to take extra precautions during peak fire season, such as not mowing lawns during high winds, not driving vehicles over extremely dry vegetation, where sparks or hot engine components might spark a blaze, limiting campfires to designated places, and being on the lookout for suspicious behavior that could be arson-related.

The threat was deemed moderate Thursday and Friday, according to the Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index, which means that upon ignition, fires will be difficult to control.

Read more: Red Flag Warning Issued In San Diego County

In response to the red flag warning, San Diego Gas & Electric warned more than 30,000 customers in the fire-prone eastern and northern parts of the county that it may suspend their electrical service at times over the period to reduce combustion hazards posed by power lines. (See a map of affected areas.)

Read more: SDG&E Public Safety Power Shutoffs Possible In San Diego County

The utility plans to provide updated notifications to customers within 24 hours of an anticipated power-down, and again within one to four hours of a shutoff, if possible. If power is turned off, it will remain off as long as winds pose a safety risk near and around electric infrastructure, according to SDG&E.

The following communities should be prepared for possible power outages, according to SDG&E:

• Alpine
• Banner Grade
• Boulevard
• Descanso
• Fallbrook
• Julian
• Mesa Grande
• Mount Laguna
• Palomar Mountain
• Pine Valley
• Potrero
• Ramona
• Rancho Santa Fe
• Rincon
• Santa Ysabel
• Valley Center
• Viejas
• Vista
• Warner Springs
• Wynola

SDG&E advised customers who received the notification to be prepared, making sure they have emergency supplies such as water, food, flashlights, extra batteries and cellphone battery packs.

Should any precautionary power shutoff last for more than 24 hours, the utility plans to open temporary aid centers where customers can get water and snacks, charge cellphones and receive updates.

City News Service and Kristina Houck/Patch contributed to this report.