Oakland is facing an urgent situation as a fast-moving brush fire has forced the evacuation of a neighborhood and caused damage to at least four structures.
Around 80 firefighters are currently working to control the 8-acre (3.2-hectare) fire in the Oakland hills, with additional help from state crews, according to the Oakland Fire Department. This fire occurs amidst red flag warnings issued by forecasters, indicating elevated fire risks from the central coast through the San Francisco Bay Area and up to northern Shasta County, near the Oregon border.
What caused fire?
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the fire department has ordered evacuations for residents on Campus Drive and Crystal Ridge Court. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
Meanwhile, in an effort to mitigate fire risks, a California utility company has shut off power in 19 counties across northern and central California due to strong “diablo winds,” notorious for their hot, dry gusts during the fall. As of Friday, approximately 16,000 customers were without power after Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) initiated the outage.
Sustained winds predicted in Oakland
The National Weather Service has predicted sustained winds of up to 35 mph (56 kph) in many areas, with gusts potentially reaching 65 mph (104 kph) along mountaintops. These dangerous winds are expected to continue through the weekend.
PG&E began cutting power on Thursday in 12 counties, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma in the Bay Area, along with more northern areas such as Colusa, Glenn, Tehama, and Shasta. The utility has warned that as many as 20,000 customers may experience temporary power outages over the next few days, depending on local weather conditions.
Diablo winds in Oakland and around
In a statement released Friday, PG&E emphasized that the duration and scope of outages would vary by location, and not all customers would be impacted for the same length of time.
Meteorologist Brayden Murdock from the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office noted that this could potentially be the most significant wind event of the year, urging residents to take caution.
Diablo winds, common in autumn, can drastically lower humidity levels, drying out vegetation and increasing the risk of wildfires.
Power cuts likely
These winds blow from the inland areas toward the coast as high pressure builds over the western U.S., with their name—”diablo” meaning “devil” in Spanish—reflecting their dangerous nature.
Southern California is also bracing for potential power shutoffs as the Santa Ana winds, another well-known weather pattern, are expected on Friday and Saturday. The Santa Ana winds, characterized by dry, warm gusts, blow from the inland areas of Southern California toward the coast, in contrast to the usual moist air from the Pacific.
Red flag warnings
Red flag warnings have been issued for the valleys and mountains of Los Angeles County, parts of the Inland Empire, and the San Bernardino Mountains. According to meteorologist Mike Wofford, winds in the greater Los Angeles area aren’t expected to be as intense as in the north, but gusts between 25 and 40 mph (40 and 64 kph) are still possible in mountainous areas.
The strongest winds so far have been recorded in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains, with gusts ranging from 45 to 55 mph (72 to 88 kph) and some isolated gusts reaching up to 60 mph (96 kph).
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