Ron Brackett
With California's fire danger lingering into December, tens of thousands of homes and businesses once again face power shutoffs Monday.
Red flag warnings remain in effect from Los Angeles, through parts of the San Francisco Bay Area and the Santa Cruz Mountains, and into the Sacramento Valley, the National Weather Service said. Santa Ana winds are expected to begin Monday and peak early Tuesday with gusts of 40 to 50 mph or higher, the NWS said.
High winds could possibly knock down power lines and start wildfires.
Southern California Edison said Monday afternoon it had cut electricity to nearly 12,000 customers in Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Ventura counties. Another 194,000 shutoffs were being considered in those counties and Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Tulare counties.
San Diego Gas & Electric notified more than 50,000 customers that their power could be cut this week. As of 11:15 a.m. PST, the company said it had cut electricity to 30 customers.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company had considered Public Safety Power Shutoffs for 132,000 customers in 15 counties. The utility, the state's largest, later dropped that number to only 8,500 customers in five counties before announcing Monday that it was not planning any cut-offs because the weather had improved in Northern California.
(MORE: Expect a Big Flip in the Weather This Week)
Over the weekend, firefighters gained more control over an Orange County fire that has destroyed 30 structures. Known as the Bond Fire, the blaze began as a house fire in Silverado Canyon last Wednesday and quickly grew to more than 11.5 square miles.
Mandatory evacuation orders for hundreds of homes were lifted Sunday and the fire was 55% contained, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Firefighters were preparing for the return of the Santa Ana winds on Monday and their potential to cause the fire to flare up again.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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