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The weather forecast calls for devastating winds and extreme fire conditions in Southern California

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The weather forecast calls for devastating winds and extreme fire conditions in Southern California

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This story has been updated with information about a brush fire burning near Balcom Canyon and Bradley roads on Wednesday. Morning. Further information about the fire can be found here.

As authorities warned of damaging Santa Ana winds and “extremely critical” fire conditions, a brush fire broke out near Balcom Canyon, prompting evacuations and a large-scale deployment of firefighters and aircraft.

Thousands of local Edison customers in Southern California also experienced power outages early Wednesday.

The utility planned to monitor dozens of local circuits through at least Thursday morning and potentially shut off power if dangerous conditions occurred, officials said. The lines would be de-energized to prevent electrical equipment from starting a fire.

The strongest winds were expected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, but critical fire conditions were forecast throughout Southern California, the National Weather Service reported. The agency has issued a warning that is expected to remain in effect until Thursday evening.

These are triggered when circumstances could cause fires to ignite easily and spread quickly.

In this case, the weather service classified the warning as a “particularly dangerous situation.” This was due to the duration, large area affected, low humidity and “extremely strong” Santa Ana winds, said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

The fast-spreading bushfire had burned an estimated 248 acres as of 9:15 a.m. Evacuations and road closures are available at vcemergency.com.

The forecast called for local wind speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. In some wind-prone mountain areas, gusts can reach up to 130 km/h.

The wind is expected to peak on Wednesday. But conditions will remain gusty and dry through Thursday, Lewis said. Humidity could drop into the single digits.

Which areas are experiencing power outages?

In Ventura County, authorities estimated 13,000 people were without power in areas from Ventura to Simi Valley as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

More than 74,000 people were on circuits monitored for the shutdowns, the sheriff's Office of Emergency Services reported. Areas without power being monitored included counties around Fillmore, Santa Paula, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, the Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Rosa Valley, Somis and Ventura.

The Ventura County Fire Department recently reported that moisture levels in the brush have reached critical dry levels, just below historical averages. Once levels reach that mark, it becomes more difficult to suppress fires, officials said.

The National Weather Service reported gusts of 76 mph at Boney Mountain in the Santa Monica Mountains, 55 mph at Oxnard Airport and 48 mph at Camarillo Airport early Wednesday.

How to sign up for emergency alerts and receive updates

Edison officials said shutting off circuits, called public safety power shutoffs, occurs only when weather experts have identified dangerous conditions. If a power outage occurs, power will likely stop once the wind dies down.

According to Edison, lines could be damaged or branches could be on them. Officials would need to patrol an area and troubleshoot any problems before power is restored, officials said.

Authorities urged residents to prepare for possible power outages. For local outage information, visit vcemergency.com. To sign up for emergency alerts, go to readyventuracounty.org/vc-alert/.

For more information about power shutoffs, visit sce.com/psps. For a map of monitored areas or outages, visit sce.com/outage-center/check-outage-status.

Cheri Carlson covers environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at [email protected] or 805-437-0260.

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