California Fire Risk Rises as Winds Strengthen

Red Flag Warnings cover much of California as Santa Ana winds, low humidity, warm temperatures and dry vegetation increase the chance that fires will ignite and spread rapidly. Southern California is expected to face the strongest winds Thursday and Friday, with mountain gusts of 60–70 mph in parts of Los Angeles County and local gusts up to 55 mph in Ventura County; warnings also cover parts of the Sierra Nevada, Antelope Valley, Cuyama Valley and Tehachapi. Fire agencies are pre-positioning crews and equipment, while Southern California Edison and PG&E are considering preventive power shutoffs that could affect tens of thousands of customers. Heat advisories are in effect Thursday through Saturday for parts of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and areas around Los Angeles, where temperatures could reach the mid-90s. Officials urge residents to avoid activities that could spark fires, monitor emergency alerts, prepare for possible outages and evacuations, and take precautions against heat and wildfire smoke.