Fire Crews, Solano County Residents Prepare As Strongest Wind Event Of Fire Season Rolls Through
SOLANO COUNTY (CBS13) – Powerful winds packing quite the punch began rolling into the Greater Sacramento area on Sunday night.
The winds showed their strength in early evening hours as flags flapped loudly at a Dixon Fruit Market.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning until 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Pacific Gas and Electric said in a statement that it has forecasted that the latest wind event is bringing the possibility of the driest humidity levels and strongest winds of the fire season thus far.
It's all something that Vacaville Fire Chief Kris Concepcion and his crews are preparing for.
"Based on the fire behavior we've been seeing this year, it's a very big concern and that's the reason we up-staffed an extra fire engine," Concepcion said. "We also have an extra battalion chief that's on duty tonight."
PG&E is conducting another public safety power shutoff impacting roughly 361,000 customers in 36 counties – with 162,000 of them in our area.
Power to some customers started getting turned off Sunday morning. Some people said they are just bracing for the winds to blow through and hoping no fires are sparked and fueled by them.
"I am worried because I do live in an area where there's grass and fields. So, yeah, it's a concern," Stephanie Taylor, who lives in Fairfield, said.
"Pray for the firefighters. Pray for anybody out working in this weather and hope they hold on to their hats," Mike Ward, who lives in Vacaville, said.
Concepcion said he knows how big of an impact this strong wind event can have during the fire season.
In his 30 years of service, he's seen wind events produce wind gusts up to 70 and 80 miles per hour.
The mindset of dealing with the anticipated high winds is simple: Advise people to do their part in preventing fires and to be prepared.
"It's always on the edges of your seat type of thing. You're hoping you up-staff for no reason because that's really what we are hoping for," Concepcion said.
The Vacaville fire chief told CBS13 that it's important during these times for people to have their evacuation items at the ready and know where you're going especially due to the pandemic.
PG&E said that power is expected to be restored to customers starting Monday night going through Tuesday night.