High winds create high fire danger in Solano County: "It's not a season. It's year-round."
FAIRFIELD — High winds are creating fire danger across Northern California Wednesday.
Pacific Gas and Electric called for Public Safety Power Shutoffs for thousands of customers including many in Solano County.
The powerful winds uprooted a massive tree at a condo complex in Fairfield off East Tabor Avenue. It crashed through an iron fence and blocked the busy road until crews cleared it.
"It's scary. It really is," said Robin McCormack, who lives at the condos and is the HOA manager. "I figured, because of the high winds, we'd have a branch or something. I didn't expect the whole tree to come down."
McCormack said they were in the process of inspecting trees on the property for the winter, but the wind beat them to it and took out one of its trees.
"That would have been awful if it had hit a car or thank God it didn't hit an animal or person walking by," McCormack said.
The City of Fairfield said it has no tree crew of its own working on a reactionary basis. Instead, the city sends contractors to downed trees like the one that came down on Wednesday.
Ahead of the winter, the city designates crews to clear debris from streams and creeks and keep an eye on troublesome trees.
Fairfield Fire Marshal Steven Conti said fire danger is still high, even in November.
"It's not a season," Conti said. "It's year-round."
The 40-mile-per-hour gusts caused fire crews to pre-position across Solano in case something sparks. CBS13 spotted a small brush fire on the side of eastbound I-80 Wednesday afternoon that fire crews were putting out.
"When they are high like this, it's just more concerning for downed power lines, vegetation, tree limbs, branches," Conti said. "You never know what you're going to find."
Conti said that is why it is crucial for the community to have a plan and have backup generators, batteries, water, chargers and non-perishable foods.
He also said it's important for them to sign up for emergency alerts from both the City of Fairfield and Solano County.
"There's not much you can do," McCormack said. "You just have to hope and pray that nothing is going to come down and hit you."
These high fire risk conditions came the day after Election Day. A spokesperson from the Solano County Registrar of Voters said the power shutoffs have not impacted them or their ballot counting at all.