Extreme wind gusts and a dry forecast have weather officials concerned for the Santa Clarita Valley over the next couple of days.
A red flag warning was issued because the wind gusts were expected to reach anywhere from 60 to 80 mph, according to Ariel Cohen, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
“The high-wind warning indicates that damaging winds of 60 to 80 mph are expected during the duration, specifically going from late (Monday) evening until Tuesday afternoon,” Cohen said in a phone interview Monday.
“We’re looking for the very dry conditions to combine with the damaging winds to create a volatile combination of parameters, coming together to support the very rapid spread of fires in a particularly dangerous situation,” he added.
Cohen said the wind event is not expected to have a significant impact on the temperature, with the highs and lows to remain consistently in the mid-60s to low-40s, respectively.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department echoed the concern in an email Monday afternoon.
“The LACoFD reminds residents living in wildfire-prone areas to take appropriate precautions:
See something, say something. Report any sign of smoke or fire immediately to your local fire department by dialing 911. If you dial 9-1-1 from your cell phone, be sure to know your location,” according to the email.
The department said it’s also critical for residents to be familiar with the Ready! Set! Go! program that provides important pre‑planning and evacuation information.
The Fire Department also issued a Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) warning.
“During elevated weather conditions, utility companies may temporarily shut off power in high-risk areas,” it stated. “Please plan for this possibility and consult with your local utility company for more information.”
Southern California Edison started sending notifications out Saturday about the possible outages, according to Diane Castro, a spokeswoman for the utility.
Those who did not receive a notification but might be concerned of a possible impact can visit Edison’s outage center at sce.com/pspsalerts.
Fire Department officials said more information on fire preparation is available at fire.lacounty.gov/rsg.
