The National Weather Service issued a forecast on Thursday warning that a moderate to strong Santa Ana wind event would bring widespread strong winds and critical fire weather to much of south-west California through Saturday. Dry winds could reach 20-40mph, with gusts of 50-70mph expected in the San Gabriel mountains in Los Angeles county and the Santa Susana mountains, which lie mostly in Ventura county. Portions of the Santa Lucia mountains in San Luis Obispo county are also under critical fire weather conditions.
Thousands of people in California were without electricity on Thursday as utilities carried out precautionary power shutoffs aimed at preventing hot, windy weather from blowing over lines and sparking wildfires. In northern California, nearly 62,000 customers across 26 counties were affected.
The elevated fire risk comes at a tumultuous moment. Southern California has already endured severe heatwaves, high surf and flooding in the opening weeks of autumn. Officials warned that a potentially historic El Niño brewing in the Pacific could extend the danger through the end of this year and into next, layering extreme weather on top of the state's existing hazards and the longer-term effects of the human-caused climate crisis.
The warnings carry particular weight in Los Angeles, where strong Santa Ana winds fueled the devastating 2025 firestorm that killed more than 30 people and consumed more than 16,000 structures. With neighbourhoods still being rebuilt, the burn scars left behind have raised the risk of debris flows and landslides if the elevated chances of severe winter storms materialise.
Kevin McGowan, director of LA's office of emergency management, urged residents to prepare not just for one hazard but for all hazards. Climate scientist Daniel Swain noted that any significant fire activity this week would be poorly timed in the context of El Niño, which has raised the likelihood of a wet winter in southern California. "[Fire] would further raise the stakes," he said.