Incoming Santa Ana winds could bring dangerous fire weather to Ventura

Dangerous fire weather could return to Ventura County much of next week, forecasters say.

With strong, dry Santa Ana winds expected, the National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Friday for most of Ventura County and much of Los Angeles County.

The watch indicates critical fire weather conditions are likely. If conditions continue to develop, the watch could be upgraded to a more serious red flag warning, said Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist with the weather service office in Oxnard.

As of midday Saturday, forecasts indicated the potential for extreme fire weather conditions that could constitute a “particularly dangerous situation,” or PDS, red flag warning.

“It’s still too far out to provide any guarantee,” Munroe said of the evolving situation.

The wind event has the potential, at the high end of the forecast, to be “among the strongest, if not the strongest, Santa Ana event of the season,” he said.

There’s also a chance conditions could bring only a weak or moderate event, he said.

Still, forecasters are “highly concerned about the potential” for damaging winds, Munroe said.

How strong will the Santa Ana winds be in Ventura County?

The fire weather watch covers all of Ventura County except part of the Ojai Valley down to Casitas Springs, Munroe said. That area is a little more sheltered by a north-south mountain range that will block the winds, he said.

Much of LA County is also in the watch area, including the Santa Monica Mountains, the Malibu coast, the Santa Clarita Valley, the Interstate 5 corridor, the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel valley and mountains.

The winds will come from the north to northeast and blow offshore.

From Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday night, sustained winds of 35 to 50 mph are forecast, with gusts of 55 to 80 mph or stronger possible, according to Saturday’s prediction. Winds will be strongest in mountains, foothills and valleys.

Moderate winds are expected to persist Thursday into Friday.

Relative humidity could drop as low as 20% by Tuesday evening, then dip to a widespread 15% or lower Tuesday night into Friday, forecasts show.

Powerful Santa Ana winds could return to Ventura County starting Tuesday, forecasters say. On Nov. 8, Cal Fire firefighters sprayed water on a compost pile in a Somis avocado orchard as the Mountain Fire smoldered in agricultural areas.

When red flag warnings are issued, fire departments beef up staffing as a precaution. Utilities, including Southern California Edison, often de-energize circuits in affected areas to prevent equipment from sparking brush fires through “public safety power shutoffs.”

More in U.S.

The Mountain Fire erupted in the Somis area and spread to hillsides above Camarillo on Nov. 6 during “particularly dangerous” Santa Ana winds, ultimately burning more than 31 square miles. The blaze destroyed 243 structures, including 182 homes, and damaged 127.

On Dec. 9, the Franklin Fire broke out in Malibu amid fierce Santa Ana winds, destroying 20 structures, including 9 homes, and damaging 28.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Incoming Santa Ana winds bring fire weather watch to Ventura County

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