Santa Ana event to raise wildfire risk again for Southern California
A Santa Ana will kick up Tuesday and howl through the canyons, mountain slopes and many coastal areas over Southern California during Tuesday night and into Wednesday. The gusty winds could cause existing fires to rage out of control and burning embers could spark new fires, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
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An area of high pressure will build across the Great Basin into midweek. The rising pressure will produce wind that spills over the interior mountains of Southern California then squeezes through the valleys and northeast-to-southwest-oriented canyons. As the air squeezes through gaps in the mountains or flows downhill, it will pick up speed.
Even though winds will not be as strong as some Santa Ana events have been in prior years, the Franklin Fire, which began on Dec. 9 during a moderate wind event, is a testament that powerful winds are not necessary to ignite flames that spread rapidly to areas, putting a great number of lives and property at risk. As of Tuesday evening, the Franklin Fire was up to almost 80% contained.
Northeast gusts averaging 40-60 mph with stronger peak winds are more than enough to cause sparks to transition to a major and fast-moving wildfire. Experts urge anyone working with power equipment and open flames to be extra careful with the upcoming winds and immediately report any downed power lines to utility companies and fire and police departments.
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The wildfire risk is being boosted by dry brush, lowering humidity levels and warmth, along with the gusty winds.
Gusts can also be strong enough to affect the handling of large-profile vehicles such as trucks, campers and buses -- especially when venturing over the passes or in open areas where the wind blows perpendicular to the roads.
East to northeast breezes will persist on Wednesday but at lower speeds than on Tuesday. The conditions will make firefighting efforts difficult and dangerous.
As is usually the case with Santa Ana winds, the downtown Los Angeles area will avoid the strongest winds although locally gusty breezes can raise the wildfire risk in the surrounding cities.
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