Gusty Santa Ana winds were sweeping through San Diego County Monday amid dry conditions, raising the risk of wildfires in the mountains and the inland valleys.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory that was in effect until 5 p.m. in the coastal areas and the western valleys.
Winds out of the northeast reached between 25-35 mph, with sustained wind gusts potentially reaching 55 mph. Humidity dropped to around 5-10% this afternoon with poor overnight recovery. That combination created an elevated risk of wildfires in the mountains and the western valleys through Tuesday.
To reduce the risk of wildfire in some parts of North County, San Diego Gas & Electric notified about 21,480 residents over the weekend that it may have to turn off power Monday or Tuesday. About 10 this morning, the utility shut off power for 2,743 customers in Fallbrook.
RELATED: Big Power Shutoffs In California As Winds Boost Fire Danger
SDG&E said another 18,738 customers in the areas of Camp Pendleton, East San Juan Capistrano, Oceanside and Pala Reservation are at risk of having their power shut off at some point today or Tuesday.
Power shutoffs are approved by state regulators as a safety tool to mitigate fire risk during dangerous weather conditions.
John Choi with North County Fire Protection says the red flag warning is in effect until Tuesday evening and asks residents to be prepared ahead of time in case of any evacuations.
“Its an unfortunate thing when you have to shut down power but I think we’ve come accustomed to needing a power shutdown to protect a whole region of area that might have that potential of high wind knocking down power lines starting a vegetation fire," he said. "I think the momentary discomfort of not having electricity which could be a result of not having a big fire is the better outcome.”
A map of areas at risk of power shutoffs is available at sdge.com/ready.
The winds are expected to calm by Tuesday night, then temperatures throughout the county will warm to slightly above average by Thursday, forecasters said.
