SAN DIEGO —
Power Outage Information
Parts of the Southland will be under another red- flag warning for extreme wildfire danger this week, forecasters said Sunday.
The warning will be in effect from 4 a.m. Monday through 10 p.m. Tuesday for much of Los Angeles County and Ventura County, according to the National Weather Service. San Diego County will be under a red flag warning.
A red-flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are likely to occur due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures. The public is urged to use extreme caution with potential fire ignition sources. Officials advise that it's also a good time to assemble an emergency supply kit and know your evacuation route.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the 70s this week, but a Santa Ana wind event is expected to begin late Sunday and continue through Tuesday evening. Winds are expected to peak in strength Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning with gusts of 40 to 55 mph for the coastal and valley areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, while gusts of 55 to 70 mph will be possible for the mountains.
Humidity is expected to rise slightly Monday morning, but a drying trend is expected Monday afternoon through Tuesday when humidity in the teens and single digits is likely, the NWS said.
In inland Orange County, where the 7,375-acre Bond Fire was 50% contained Sunday, winds were expected to pick up again Monday, with gusts up to 45 mph.
SDG&E is urging customers on Sunday to be prepared for Public Safety Power Shutoffs and has notified approximately 50,483 customers that they could be without power beginning Monday night into Wednesday, depending on the severity of winds and potential damage to the electric system
As of 12:00 a.m., Saturday SDG&E listed no customers without power. For ongoing updates, click here.
SDG&E had reported a round of safety outages that began Wednesday evening and continued into Thursday morning. The utility tweeted that due to high winds, the power was shut off in certain areas. The following communities were without power: Alpine, Barona Reservation, Boulevard, Campo, Campo Reservation, Descanso, Dulzura, El Cajon, Encinitas (Olivenhain), Escondido, Ewiiaapaayp Reservation, Fallbrook, Jacumba, Jamul, Jamul Reservation, Julian, Lakeside, La Jolla Reservation, La Posta Reservation, Los Cayotes Reservation, Manzanita Reservation, Mesa Grande Reservation, Mount Laguna, Nestor, Pala, Pala Reservation, Palomar Mountain, Pauma Reservation, Pauma Valley, Pine Valley, Potrero, Poway, Ramona, Ranchita, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Santa Fe, Rincon Reservation, San Marcos, San Pasqual Reservation, Santa Ysabel, Santa Ysabel Reservation, Valley Center, Viejas Reservation and Warner Springs.
SDG&E crews have begun visual inspections of a limited number of electrical circuits in areas where winds have decreased and where it is safe to do that work. Inspections of power lines are the first step in the power restoration process, after a Public Safety Power Shutoff. The utility says the inspections will help determine if there is any wind damage.
To support affected residents, SDG&E plans to open up to 10 drive-thru Community Resource Centers today from 8 a.m. –10 p.m. in impacted areas. These facilities provide ice, water, snacks, charging for small electronics, up-to-date information, hand warmers and other cold-weather items.
For a complete list of Community Resource Centers and additional information on power outages and restoration, please visit sdge.com/ready.
Earlier this week on Tuesday, due to the wildfire warning, San Diego Gas & Electric notified about 88,700 of its customers in inland communities that they could be subject to potential public-safety power shutoffs from Wednesday night into the weekend, and potentially through Monday.
School Closure Information
Due to power outages in the community, schools in the following districts will be closed on Friday, Dec. 4:
- Alpine Union
- Dehesa
- Valley Center-Pauma Unified
- Warner Unified
The following schools will also be closed Dec. 4 due to continuing power outages:
- Cajon Valley Union School District: Jamacha Elementary
- Lakeside Union School District: Eucalyptus Hills and Lakeside Farms
School district leadership and the San Diego County Office of Education will continue to monitor the situation and consult with local fire and utility representatives.
Weather Alert Information
Arid Santa Ana winds will increase in strength and become widespread across the county late Wednesday night, with 50-mph gusts possible in the mountains and the western valleys, according to the National Weather Service.
On Thursday, humidity levels dipping below 10%, sustained 30-plus-mph winds and gusts of 60 mph or higher will create "extremely critical" combustion hazards in local mountain communities into the early afternoon, the federal agency reported. Affected highland areas include those east of Chula Vista, El Cajon, Escondido and Fallbrook, meteorologists advised.
In response to the expected atmospheric conditions, the NWS issued a red-flag wildfire warning for local inland valley and highland areas, effective from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 10 p.m. Saturday. The most intensive critical fire weather conditions are expected to last from Wednesday night through Friday morning, meteorologists advised.
The dry and windy weather pattern is likely to continue into next week, though likely in a weakened manner, according to forecasters.