Edison warns of possible power shutoffs as Santa Ana winds return
In order to limit the possible risk of wildfires, Southern California Edison is warning residents that they may shutoff power for thousands of residents as Santa Ana winds sweep back into the region.
Edison issued the "Public Safety Power Shutoff" warning on Tuesday as a new round of the powerful winds is expected to batter Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura Counties in coming days.
"We will consider resorting to a Public Safety Power Shutoff when weather and fire experts forecast dangerous conditions, including strong winds, dry vegetation, and low humidity," the SoCal Edison website said. "Combined, these conditions create the risk that flying debris damage to wires and equipment could ignite a fire with the potential to spread rapidly and threaten communities."
Related: U.S. sues SoCal Edison seeking damages from devastating Bobcat Fire
In all, more than 1% of Edison's five million customers could be impacted by the shutoffs if they occur.
The company offered a detailed list of how many would be within the areas affected by shuttoffs:
- Los Angeles County: 20,971 customers
- Orange County: 4,591 customers
- Riverside County: 12,790 customers
- San Bernardino County: 13,771 customers
- Ventura County: 16,311 customers
SoCal Edison has been subjected to lawsuits related to devastating wildfires in California in the past, most recently the Coastal Fire — which destroyed 20 homes in Laguna Beach in 2020.
The latest round of Santa Ana winds comes just a week after a severe event battered Southern California last week, fueling a massive 2,000+ acre fire in Riverside County.
Meteorologists predict that the winds will continue to blow through Thursday, bringing considerably low humidity levels along with.
A fire weather watch has been issued by the National Weather Service, starting at 3 a.m. on Thursday and lasting until 6 p.m. the same day n the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, Malibu coast, Calabasas, the San Gabriel Mountains and the I-5 and SR-14 Freeway corridors, as well as the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys.
"The gusty offshore winds will begin late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, likely peaking Wednesday night into Thursday, then gradually decrease through Friday," the NWS said. "Humidity levels will take time to lower, however. As such, the threat of reaching six or more hours of low humidity and gusty wind combinations is low for Wednesday but remains around 50 percent for Thursday."