Daijiworld Media Network - California

California, Oct 16: More than 80,000 customers in California were without electricity on Thursday as utility companies imposed precautionary power cuts amid hot, dry and windy conditions that increased the risk of wildfires.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reported that nearly 62,000 customers across 26 counties in Northern California were without power after the utility began shutting off electricity on Wednesday night. Southern California Edison said an additional 19,000 customers in Los Angeles, Kern and Ventura counties lost power on Thursday.

The weather conditions raising the wildfire risk were expected to continue through Saturday. PG&E said it had notified around 90,000 customers across 29 counties that they could face power interruptions lasting until Saturday afternoon.

California utilities have increasingly resorted to preventive power shutoffs during periods of dry and windy weather because electrical equipment has been linked to some of the state's most destructive wildfires.

The National Weather Service warned that strong, dry Santa Ana winds could affect Southern California, with the strongest gusts expected from Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon.

Winds of 20 to 40 miles per hour, with gusts reaching 50 to 70 mph, were forecast in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County and the Santa Susana Mountains, largely located in Ventura County. Some areas of the Santa Lucia Mountains in San Luis Obispo County were also expected to face elevated fire danger.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she had directed the city's fire department to deploy personnel and equipment ahead of the windy conditions. Fire Chief Jaime Moore said additional staff and resources were being positioned in advance, while residents were urged to keep roads clear, prepare emergency plans and remain informed.

Several fires were reported across Southern California on Thursday. In Azusa, north of Los Angeles, a wind-driven brush fire burned around 40 acres and prompted evacuation orders in a foothill neighbourhood. The orders were later downgraded to warnings, and around 200 firefighters were involved in efforts to contain the blaze.

Another brush fire broke out in Malibu, west of Los Angeles, prompting evacuation orders and warnings across parts of the Santa Monica Mountains. The fire spread to around 80 acres in just over an hour and threatened a Los Angeles County juvenile detention and rehabilitation facility.

Near San Diego, a fire at Camp Pendleton military base grew to more than 1,000 acres, threatening buildings and prompting evacuation orders in the Las Flores area. Fire crews from Camp Pendleton and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection were battling the blaze. A section of Interstate 5 was closed, and the fire also caused a power outage in the Las Pulgas area.

Communities in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills experienced strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity from Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

A Red Flag Warning was issued for parts of central and Northern California from Thursday through Friday morning, indicating conditions in which fires could spread rapidly.

Southern California's warning for mountainous areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties remained in effect through Friday night.

Southern California Edison was also considering further public safety power shutoffs that could affect around 245,000 customers. Ventura County accounted for approximately 124,000 of those customers.

The latest fire threat has renewed concerns following the devastating wildfires that struck the Los Angeles region in January 2025.

The Palisades Fire, driven by Santa Ana winds, killed 12 people and destroyed homes in a hillside neighbourhood. Authorities determined that it had reignited from an earlier fire that investigators alleged had been deliberately started.

The Eaton Fire in Altadena killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and businesses. Officials attributed the fire to sparks from an idle transmission tower owned by Southern California Edison.

Meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld said the current Santa Ana winds were not expected to reach the intensity recorded during the 2025 fires, when gusts ranged from 60 to 100 mph.

Authorities continued to urge residents to remain alert as windy conditions and elevated fire danger persisted across parts of California.