Cal Fire bolsters resources ahead of powerful Southern California wind event

With yet another major Santa Ana wind event closing in on most of Southern California, local authorities are already taking steps to ensure a swift response to any emergencies that may arise. 

Cal Fire has started the process of deploying additional firefighting resources throughout the state, in an effort to mitigate potential damage brought on by the strong winds, which increase a likelihood for devastating and fast-moving wildfires. 

The winds, which are projected to begin just after midnight on Tuesday and last until early Friday, could bring some gusts of wind that reach 80 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Officials warn that this could result in downed trees and power lines, which has SoCal Edison — the region's major electricity provider — considering planned outages for hundreds of thousands of residents. 

In a statement shared on Monday, Cal Fire says that they have 45 additional engines ready for deployment through Southern California, as well as six hand crews. They were all transferred from Northern California and dispatched to various parts of the region, including the Inland Empire, Orange County and San Diego County. 

In the event of a fire, Cal Fire says that they'll begin their initial firefighting response "above normal levels," which includes fire engines, hand crews, bulldozers, water tenders and 24/7 supervisory personnel.

"As we experienced in Ventura County in November with the Mountain Fire, and yet again in December with the Franklin Fire in Malibu, wildfire is a year-round threat," said Cal Fire Director Joe Tyler. "Please be vigilant and don't be the cause of the next wildfire in your community."

Because of the looming winds, NWS issued a Red Flag Warning that starts at 1 p.m. on Tuesday and last until 6 p.m. on Thursday, and a High Wind Warning from 4 a.m. Tuesday morning to 6 p.m. Wednesday. 

Advice from fire officials

In an effort to better educate the public about simple things that could spark a fire, Tyler offered a number of tips. 

Residents are advised to avoid parking vehicles in dry grass where hot leaks could ignite the vegetation and to "ensure chains are not dragging" when towing a trailer along roadways to avoid sparking. 

At the same time, he recommended that homeowners try and establish a five-foot buffer space in the immediate area around their homes, especially focusing on removing flammable items. People should have "go bags" ready to go and plans to shelter pets if necessary. 

If suspicious activity is noticed, he advised reporting it to local authorities as quickly as possible to prevent acts of arson, similar to the Line Fire that torched nearly 45,000 acres of brush in the San Bernardino Mountains after it was intentionally sparked by a Justin Wayne Halstenberg.

Potential power shutoffs

Falling in line with recent wind events is SoCal Edison's response, with the utility service announcing that they were preparing to enact their Public Safety Power Shutoffs. 

"We may temporarily shut off power to your neighborhood during dangerous weather conditions to prevent our electric system from becoming a source of ignition," said Edison's website. "These safety shutoffs are a measure of last resort for keeping you and your community safe."

As of 7:30 p.m. the website said that 409, 518 customers were in areas, in Kern, Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, that were being considered for PSPS. 

Previous wind-driven wildfires

Southern California has been no stranger to devastating wildfires, and in the last year hundreds of thousands of acres of vegetation have been engulfed by flames that were fueled by strong wind. 

In December, a the Franklin Fire erupted to torch more than 4,000 acres in just hours in Malibu, which firefighters attributed to the strong winds and dry climate. A month prior, the Mountain Fire destroyed dozens of homes in Ventura County, with the fast-moving flames once again being aided by powerful and erratic winds blowing through the area. Both of these blazes occurred in the midst of Red Flag Warnings.

Earlier in 2024, three separate and destructive wildfires broke out across Southern California at the same time, with the Line Fire, Bridge Fire and Airport Fire combining to burn more than 100,000 acres and damage dozens of structures. 

Cities taking action

City leaders are also preemptively working to lessen the potential destruction of the wind event, with some officials issuing warnings to locals. 

In Pasadena, at the advise of the fire department, parking restrictions have been placed into effect in places where there are "narrow and/or winding roads" in the city's "urban-wildland interface areas."

"Now's the time to review your evacuation plans and make sure emergency kits are stocked with everything you need should you have to evacuate," said the statement from Lisa Derderian, Pasadena Public Information Officer.

In turn, this allows for improved fire department access and resident evacuation, the release said. 

A full list of the impacted areas can be found on the Pasadena city website.