Santa Ana winds bring strong gusts, fire warnings to SoCal
By Zakir Jamal
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10/18/24 (LAPost.com) — A red flag warning, indicating increased fire risk, has been issued for most valleys and mountains in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties from 9 a.m. Friday through 6 p.m. Saturday.
The warning will affect the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys, the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, Calabasas, the San Gabriel Mountains and the 5 Freeway and 14 Freeway corridors.
During this time, humidity is expected to drop to between 5-15%, and winds to gust between 30-50 miles per hour. Wind speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour have been reported in locations including the Malibu Hills and the Montecito Hills. Because of this, conditions are prime for fires to spread.
The National Weather Service has published a list of recommendations for those located in warning zones. Residents of these areas should take steps to protect their homes from flying embers and be prepared to flee if fires encroach.
“If you’re in a high fire risk area, or your home is near a forest interface or an open space, you need to stay aware of your surroundings for the next couple of days, and review your plan to evacuate. You should also be careful of anything that may spark a fire,” a NWS spokesperson told LAPost.com.
Santa Ana Winds – which blow from inland to the Southern California Coast – are the cause of these hazardous conditions. As air from the Great Basin moves over the mountains, it loses moisture and gains warmth. The Santa Anas are known for bringing clear skies and elevated fire risks.They typically last between one to seven days.
According to the NWS, “By mid to late morning Friday the strongest winds will be in the usual Santa Ana-prone areas, which includes the Highway 14 corridor from Acton to Fillmore, including the surrounding San Gabriel Mountains, western San Fernando Valley, Simi Valley, the Conejo Valley, Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu Coast especially east of Point Dume, and the Oxnard/Camarillo plain.”
Red flag parking restrictions have been put in place as of 8 a.m. Friday for many neighborhoods, in order to aid firefighters responding to fires. Vehicles parked in posted locations within the “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones” will be towed.
This comes at the same time as a red flag warning has been issued for Northern California based on forecasted “Diablo Winds” through Saturday. While the Diablo Winds and the Santa Anas act in similar ways, they are considered distinct phenomena, and do not necessarily occur at the same time.
Winds are expected to taper off by Sunday.
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Rebekah Ludmanrebekah@lapost.com8182845620
