Another round of gusty Santa Ana winds are headed to Southern California, increasing the risk for a rapidly spreading wildfire.
“Breezy today and then we’ll start seeing some really windy conditions tomorrow morning and then on Tuesday night into Wednesday and Thursday, really strong winds,” KTLA meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said Monday.
Wind gusts between 50 to 80 mph are possible for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties with the chance for isolated 80 to 100 mph gusts in the mountain and foothill areas, according to the National Weather Service.
“Widespread damaging winds and low humidities will likely cause fire starts to rapidly grow in size with extreme fire behavior,” the Weather Service stated.
Caution was urged when using any potential ignition sources. The Weather Service also warned motorists to be on the lookout for downed trees and residents to be prepared for possible power outages.
The warnings come about a month after the Franklin Fire erupted in Malibu amid similar conditions. The wildfire spread quickly before scorching more than 4,000 acres and destroying several homes.
“Here we go again. Another wind event … So, fire concerns are going to be the main story for us,” Henry said.
Wind advisories, watches and warnings are in effect for much of Southern California through Wednesday with fire watches and warnings also in place.
Temperatures are also expected to drop several degrees over the next few days.
“I looked earlier trying to find a hint of a storm. But the only thing I found is a hint of another Santa Ana event coming early next week,” Henry said of the long-term forecast.
