La Cañada Flintridge Faces Power Shutoff Amid Extreme Fire Danger

LOS ANGELES, CA — As the Southland braces for extreme fire danger and another Santa Ana windstorm Thursday, Southern California Edison is considering preemptively shutting down power across a wide swath of Los Angeles County, including La Cañada Flintridge.

Los Angeles County will remain under a red flag warning for extreme fire danger through Friday with high winds and low humidity combining to produce the critical conditions. Earlier this month, Southern California Edison opted not to shut off power in parts of Los Angeles during a Santa Ana wind storm. That's when the Saddleridge Fire ignited near a transmission tower, triggering the evacuation of more than 100,000 people. The cause of that fire remains under investigation. This time, Southern California Edison has temporarily shut off power for 172 customers in the unincorporated Los Angeles County communities of Leona Valley, Hughes Lake, Green Valley. The utility giant is also considering power shutoffs for more than 300,000 customers in its service territories. The move would de-energize power lines in danger of being damaged or downed by strong winds, potentially sparking wildfires.

In Los Angeles County, SCE warned Thursday morning that more than 68,000 customers could lose power.

As of Thursday morning, more than 68,000 customers in Los Angeles County were under consideration for electricity shutoffs, SCE said. Areas in the affected zone include Azusa, Covina, Glendale, Glendora, La Canada- Flintridge, Lancaster, Palmdale, San Dimas, San Fernando, Santa Clarita, Malibu, and unincorporated areas including Rowland Heights, Vincent, Falling Springs, Leona Valley, Lake Hughes, Green Valley, Lake Elizabeth, Cantillas, Canyon Country, Lakeview Terrace, Agua Dulce, Mint Canyon, Chatsworth, Alta Dena, Acton, Singing Springs, Letteau Canyon, White Heather, and Boiling Point, Portal Ridge, Castaic, Mount Disappointment and Mount Wilson, Bell Canyon, Santa Susana, Santa Susana Knolls, La Crescenta-Montrose, Mount Baldy, San Antonio Heights, West Hills, Stevenson Ranch, Santa Clarita Woodlands Park, Along Angeles Crest Highway, Val Verde and Crescenta Valley.

The areas facing the most extreme fire danger with the strongest winds include the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys and the surrounding mountains, according to the National Weather Service. The region faces sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 60 mph in the valleys and 70 mph in the mountains.

Due to the critical fire conditions, the city of Los Angeles will enact red flag parking restrictions at 8 a.m. Thursday in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The restrictions are put in place in an effort to keep streets clear of parked vehicles to ensure fire apparatus can reach brush fires, while also clearing a path for residents who may need to quickly evacuate a fire area.

Meanwhile, firefighters were battling a 45-acre brush fire in Pacific Palisades that was 55% contained Thursday morning. The 8,799-acre Saddleridge Fire in the northern San Fernando Valley was 97% contained.

The heat wave was expected to continue through Friday. The high in downtown Los Angeles was expected to be 95 degrees Thursday and 91 on Friday. Other expected highs Thursday were 95 in Van Nuys and Pasadena, 93 in West Hollywood, and 96 in Anaheim.

City News Service and Patch Staffer contributed to this report.