Blowing right into town
‘The strongest and longest’ Santa Ana winds of the season are forecast for region.
“The strongest and longest” Santa Ana winds of the season are forecast for the Southland.
Deflate your giant Santas and unplug those twinkly lights: The Santa Ana winds are coming to town.
Authorities anticipate high fire risk with a red flag warning in effect through Thursday — Los Angeles and Ventura counties could see wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph Monday night into Tuesday, the National Weather Service predicts.
“This will likely be the strongest and longest duration Santa Ana wind event we have seen so far this season,” the National Weather Service red flag warning reads. “If fire ignition occurs, there will be the potential for very rapid fire spread, longrange spotting, and extreme fire behavior.”
As if proving the point, a brush fire near Santa Paula in Ventura County exploded to roughly 10,000 acres late Monday, destroying at least two structures and prompting evacuations of about 500 homes. One person was killed in a vehicle accident on a road closed due to the fire. The blaze began about 6:25 p.m. near Thomas Aquinas College, which also was evacuated. Officials said the fire would affect neighborhoods in the city of Ventura overnight, and there were reports of widespread power outages.
Earlier Monday, a brush fire in Riverside County briefly threatened a few dozen homes before it was brought under control by a strong response from several agencies.
Sustained winds around 30 mph will probably begin around 10 p.m. Monday, said National Weather Service meteorologist John Dumas. Temperatures this week could reach from the high 70s to the low 80s — that’s lower than normal for Santa Ana conditions, but higher than usual for this time of year in L.A., Dumas said.
The lower temperatures may help prevent fires. But if winds knock down a power line and ignite flames, Dumas said, the fire “could spread rapidly because of the wind condition.”
Southern California has also seen less rain than usual so far this season, Dumas said, which creates fire conditions. Downtown L.A. should have seen about 2 inches of rain between October and now. There has been a tenth of an inch, he said.
Beyond the perennial fire safety measures that authorities recommend — don’t pull over in dry grass, be careful with anything that could cause sparks outside — the holiday season could pose an added risk, Dumas said.
“What concerns me most would be all of the people who have been doing their holiday decorations. Generally you’re not anticipating a big windstorm when you’re putting things out,” Dumas said.
Beware of stringing lights outside the house and through trees this week, Dumas said. Tonight might be a good night to keep those unplugged, to lower the chances of them igniting.