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KPBS Evening Edition

Dry, Gusty Santa Ana Conditions Raise Wildfire Risks In San Diego Area

A Cal Fire truck drives drives down a road during the Valley Fire, Sept. 7, 2020.
Mike Damron
A Cal Fire truck drives drives down a road during the Valley Fire, Sept. 7, 2020.

UPDATE: 11:30 a.m., Oct. 27, 2020

Dry, gusty Santa Ana winds swept through the San Diego area for a second day Tuesday, raising the risk of wildfires in the mountains and inland valleys and prompting precautionary power shutoffs.

The elevated fire hazards were expected to be significantly milder than on Monday and were only expected to last through midday in the valleys and along the coastal mountains slopes, according to the National Weather Service.

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Winds out of the northeast were expected to be between 20 and 40 mph, with sustained wind gusts potentially reaching 35 to 50 mph, forecasters said. Humidity will drop to around 5 to 10% Tuesday afternoon, with poor overnight recovery.

In the late morning, San Diego Gas & Electric shut off electrical service to about 1,000 addresses in the Boulevard area, southeast of Pine Valley, as a precaution due to the possibility of powerline-sparked fires. Service was expected to be restored to all affected customers later in the day, the utility advised.

High temperatures were forecast to reach the mid-70s near the coast and the foothills, the high 70s in the western valleys and deserts, and the mid- 60s in the mountains.

The winds were expected to diminish to more normal levels this afternoon, according to meteorologists.

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