Temecula Power Outages, 9K+ RivCo Homes Go Dark Amid Santa Ana Wind

TEMECULA, CA—Power service to Southern California Edison customers in the Temecula area was temporarily shut off Tuesday due to Santa Ana wind conditions.

The dry winds have created dangerous wildfire conditions and there is a potential for downed power lines that could start a wildfire.

"Forecasts show wind gusts will continue overnight, and we are watching to see when it is safe to restore power," SCE spokesperson Gabriela Ornelas. "Customers can type in addresses to confirm if their homes are without power or not, and it could take up to 8 hours to fully restore power after it is shut off."

Service has been cut to 9,003 Edison customers in Riverside County, and another 60,000 customers could also lose their service.

The National Weather Service says Temecula remained under a Red Flag Warning until 4 a.m. Wednesday, with winds sustained around 25 miles per hour and gusts up to 35 miles per hour throughout the day. The wind should decrease overnight, with gusts lowering to 20 mph.

"Once it is safe to inspect power lines to ensure all is safe," she said. "We understand losing power is a hardship, and customers can file claims for food loss on the SCE.com website.

According to SCE, community support resource centers have been opened for those affected by the outages.

• Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 1864 Oak Valley Village Circle, Beaumont
• Family Service Association / James A Venable Community Center
  50390 Carmen Ave., Cabazon
• Eastvale City Hall, 12363 Limonite Ave., Eastvale
• Idyllwild Community Center, 25925 Cedar Street, Idyllwild
• Jurupa Community Center, 4810 Pedley Road, Jurupa Valley
• San Jacinto Community Center, 625 S. Pico Ave., San Jacinto