100 MPH Winds Bring Critical Fire Danger To LA County

LOS ANGELES, CA — Wind gusts reaching up to 100 mph and low humidity throughout Los Angeles County triggered a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Many valley and mountain areas spent Monday under red flag wildfire conditions as Santa Ana winds blew through the region, and humidity levels dropped to critically low levels. But National Weather Service forecasters said that was only a taste of what's to come.

According to forecasters, the strongest winds with this upcoming Santa Ana wind event will begin Wednesday morning and will continue until midday Thursday.

"This is a dangerous fire weather event. Any new fires in the Red Flag Warning area will have rapid fire spread, extreme fire behavior, and long range spotting," the weather service said.

Gusty winds will peak at 80 to 100 mph in the San Gabriel Mountains Widespread damaging wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph are expected in most mountains and foothills in LA County, forecasters said, and coastal areas will likely experience damaging gusts of 50 to 70 mph.

Humidity levels are expected to drop to 15 percent by Wednesday afternoon into Thursday, giving the region a dangerous combination of dry, windy conditions.

"Use extreme caution with anything that can spark a wildfire. Residents near wild land interfaces should be prepared to evacuate if a wildfire breaks out," forecasters said.

As is typical with Santa Ana wind events, Southern California Edison officials warned that some residents may be subjected to "Public Safety Power Shutoffs," in which electricity is cut to some areas experiencing particularly high winds to reduce the possibility of fires being sparked by damaged equipment.

Thanks to Tuesday's brief break from the winds, no such shutoffs were in effect as of mid-morning Tuesday. But the utility was warning nearly 47,000 customers in Los Angeles County and more than 8,100 in Orange County that they were under consideration for cuts once the gusting winds return Wednesday.

The coast of LA County is also under storm warning due to the strong winds creating "exceptionally dangerous sea conditions which could capsize or damage vessels of all sizes." Waves are predicted to reach up to 6 feet, forecasters predicted.

City News Service contributed to this report.