Thousands Near Chatsworth Lose Power As Fire Weather Continues

CHATSWORTH, CA — Santa Ana winds began to slowly diminish across the Southland Thursday, amid cooler temperatures and even some hints of light rain in some areas, but a red flag warning of dangerous fire conditions remained in effect and thousands of residents in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange counties were without power, including an unincorporated part of northwest Chatsworth along the 118, near the Ventura County border.

Whenever high winds are forecast, Southern California Edison customers in affected areas could potentially have their power temporarily turned off as part of an effort to prevent energized electrical lines damaged by gusts that could possibly spark wildfires.

As of about 10 a.m. Thursday, 1,321 SCE customers in Ventura County, 8,099 in Los Angeles County and 802 in Orange County had their power turned off under the PSPS program. 55,912 customers in Ventura County are under consideration for a power shutoff, while approximately 23,265 customers in LA and Orange counties were under consideration for power shutoffs. Customers can check to see if they are facing a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff by visiting the utility's website at www.sce.com/psps.

In Los Angeles County, large swaths of Santa Clarita and an unincorporated part of Chatsworth remained with power as of 10:25 a.m. Thursday, according to SCE. In Ventura County, parts of Camarilllo, Fillmore, Moorpark, and Simi Valley have lost power, and much of the county is under a PSPS warning. In Orange County, unincorporated areas near Rancho Santa Margarita are without power.
The red flag warning that took effect at 8 a.m. Wednesday is expected to expire at noon Thursday.

"Santa Ana winds are diminishing across the area this morning, however a few locations in the foothills and mountains of L.A. and Ventura counties are gusting between 30 to 40 mph, with local gusts up to 50 mph," according to the National Weather Service. "Humidity recoveries were very poor to non-existent overnight, with many locations in the single digits across the four-county area, including a few sites between 4 to 6 percent."

Forecasters said the winds will decrease "substantially" Thursday afternoon, and humidity will rise thanks to a low-pressure system moving into the area later in the afternoon and evening.The red flag warning is in effect in the Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles County Mountains, the Angeles National Forest, the coastal region stretching into downtown Los Angeles and the Santa Clarita, San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.

A wind advisory will also be in place through noon for most of Los Angeles County.

According to forecasters, the red flag warning means there is a potential for rapid fire spread should a blaze erupt, along with "extreme fire behavior."

"This is the time to get set with assembling your emergency supply kit and knowing your evacuation route," according to the National Weather Service.
The bulk of Orange County was also under a red flag warning, with wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph anticipated in Santa Ana Mountain canyons, and humidity levels of 7 to 12%.

Despite the fire risk, temperatures will remain on the mild side Thursday, with highs in the 60s and 70s.

With a low-pressure system set to arrive later Thursday, forecasters said cooler temperatures will settle over the area, followed by a chance of rain in the Southland be early next week.

"Sunday afternoon through Monday, the first significant storm of the season is expected to bring widespread rain and mountain snow ...," according to the NWS, which indicated most areas would see only a quarter- to three- quarters of an inch of rain, although some mountain areas could get more.

"Light rain and mountain snow should continue into Monday evening, then dry conditions are expected Tuesday and Wednesday as high pressure builds over the region," forecasters said.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a cold weather alert for the Antelope Valley through Saturday, with overnight temperatures expected to drop below the freezing level.

"Children, the elderly and people with disabilities or special medical needs are especially vulnerable during cold weather. Extra precaution should be taken to ensure they don't get too cold when they are outside," said Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County health officer. "There are places where people can go to stay warm, such as shelters or other public facilities. We also want to remind people not to use stoves, barbeques or ovens to heat their homes due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning."

Officials also cautioned people in those areas not to leave pets outside at night.

— Refresh for updates. City News Service and Patch Editor Michael Wittner contributed to this report.