Fire conditions elevated to 'extreme' as gusty winds hit Southern California

Fire conditions elevated to ‘extreme’ as gusty winds hit Southern California

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An aerial tanker drops fire retardant on a brush fire that broke out in the area of Montecito Peak near Santa Barbara on Thursday.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Before nightfall, firefighters from various agencies make their way toward a blaze that broke out in the Los Padres National Forest area of Montecito Peak near Santa Barbara.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Firefighters watch as a tanker drops retardant on a blaze that broke out a half-mile from Camino Cielo, west of Montecito Peak in the Los Padres National Forest.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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A Ventura County firefighter strike team hikes into position as helicopters drop water during an aerial assault on a brush fire that broke out in the Los Padres National Forest area of Montecito Peak near Santa Barbara.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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An aerial tanker drops fire retardant on a brush fire that broke out in the area of Montecito Peak near Santa Barbara on Thursday.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Firefighters from various agencies make their way toward a blaze that broke out in the Los Padres National Forest area of Montecito Peak near Santa Barbara.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Firefighter Nelson Palato clears bursh in the Los Padres National Forest area of Montecito Peak near Santa Barbara.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

By Ruben VivesStaff Writer

Oct. 30, 2015 1:27 PM PT

Gusty Santa Ana winds are expected to blast through the Southland for most of Friday, creating “elevated” to “extreme” fire conditions for the mountains and foothill areas, according to the National Weather Service.

A red flag warning is in effect until the evening for the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, where extreme fire danger exists, forecasters said. Winds are expected to gust between 40 mph to 60 mph in some areas.

Meanwhile, winds in the coastal and valley areas are likely to reach speeds of 45 mph, creating unsafe driving conditions because of crosswinds.

“Major roadways that could be affected include Pacific Coast Highway, portions of the 405 Freeway and Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards,” according to a statement from the National Weather Service. “Winds this strong can cause downed trees and power outages.”

Power went out Friday morning in two areas in Malibu, affecting more than 1,500 customers. Southern California Edison staff could not confirm the outages were caused by strong winds, but one incident occurred when electrical wires came down because of a fallen tree.

Crews were working to restore service, but there was no estimate on when the job would be completed, said Lauren Bartlett, spokeswoman for Southern California Edison.

Classes on the Malibu campus at Pepperdine University were canceled Friday because of a power outage.

Winds are expected to diminish gradually throughout the day, forecasters said.

The strong winds led to at least two brush fires Friday. The first was reported near the Los Angeles River in Elysian Park, just off the 110 Freeway. The half-acre fire was extinguished by 7 a.m., but forced the closure of two northbound lands, leading to a sluggish morning commute for motorists.

The second fire was reported in Cable Canyon in San Bernardino. Fire officials said 50 mph winds caused a power line to snap from a pole, triggering the fire. The blaze burned four to five acres before it was doused.

For more Southern California news follow @LATVives on Twitter.

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