Los Angeles, California: Red Flag Warning Brings Santa Ana Winds and Parking Bans on Saturday

LOS ANGELES, California (Orbit Post) Los Angeles County will spend Saturday under a Red Flag Warning, as Santa Ana winds, very low humidity and hot weather combine into the kind of fire conditions that can turn a small spark into a fast-moving wildfire, county and city officials said Friday.

The National Weather Service warning is in effect from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, for the Santa Clarita Valley, the western and eastern Santa Monica Mountains, the Santa Susana Mountains, the western San Gabriel Mountains and the Highway 14 corridor, the office of Mayor Karen Bass said. Gusts of 30 to 45 miles per hour are forecast in the mountain areas, with isolated gusts of 45 to 55 miles per hour in the most wind-prone spots, and relative humidity falling as low as 8 to 20 percent.

Crews move in before the wind

The Los Angeles County Fire Department has raised staffing and pre-positioned ground and aerial resources across the county, Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said. The county Office of Emergency Management said its 24-hour Watch Center is monitoring conditions and coordinating with response partners. Sheriff Robert Luna said the Sheriff's Department has raised monitoring and staffing so deputies can respond quickly to any emergency.

Mayor Bass directed the Los Angeles Fire Department to pre-position personnel and equipment at fire stations across the city from 6 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Sunday, her office said. Bass said she is in constant communication with Chief Moore, and she urged residents to sign up for alerts at NotifyLA.org.

Roads, parking and power

Access on Topanga Canyon Boulevard between Mulholland Highway and Pacific Coast Highway will be limited to residents only from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, the county said, in a restriction run by Caltrans with county Public Works and the Sheriff's Department. The Los Angeles Fire Department will start Red Flag parking restrictions at 6 a.m. Saturday. Cars parked illegally in posted spots inside the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones will be towed so fire engines can get through narrow canyon roads.

Residents should also prepare for Public Safety Power Shutoffs and for unplanned outages caused by wind damage, the county warned. Southern California Edison has identified about 4,900 customers in Los Angeles and Ventura counties as candidates for precautionary shutoffs, according to reports of the utility's Friday notices. Outages can disrupt communications, traffic signals and electrically powered medical equipment, the county said.

Forecasters said recent rain has not ended the danger. Live fuel moisture is still in the 65 to 80 percent range, which leaves brush dry enough to burn fast once the wind picks up. Temperatures on Saturday could climb into the 80s and 90s in the warmest valleys.

County officials told residents to know their evacuation zone, keep a Ready, Set, Go wildfire plan ready, avoid any activity that can throw a spark near dry brush, and call 911 at the first sign of smoke or fire. Preparedness information is posted at ready.lacounty.gov, and residents can register for Alert LA County warnings through the county emergency page.