8% Humidity, 100 MPH Winds, 10,000 Acres Burned In Ventura County; Embers Dropping 2.5 Miles From The Fire Front

Fast-moving fires erupted across California on Wednesday as the state was lashed by powerful winds that complicated firefighting efforts, necessitated power shutoffs and raised the danger for more ignitions. Just hours after igniting in Ventura county, the Mountain fire rapidly swept through more than 10,000 acres as flames jumped into rural and residential communities tucked close to the burning hillsides, leaving devastation in its wake. “It has hopscotched over several ridgelines and is now burning structure to structure in neighborhoods,” climate scientist Daniel Swain said in an online broadcast, calling the event a “suburban fire storm” that could rank among the most destructive in California this year. “And the fire is still spreading.”

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Officials warned this week that conditions were particularly dangerous, especially in southern California where the landscapes were dry. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned of “extremely critical” fire conditions unfolding throughout the day and extended warnings through Thursday morning for parts of LA and Ventura counties. “Damaging wind gusts of 60mph combining with humidities around 10%+critically dry fuels!!” the agency added in a post on X, urging residents to be prepared and to use extreme caution with potential ignition sources.

With predicted gusts between 50 and 100mph (80 and 161km/h) and humidity levels as low as 8%, parts of southern California could experience conditions ripe for “extreme and life-threatening” fire behavior into Thursday, the weather service said.

Officials in several counties urged residents – especially those in coastal, valley and mountain areas – to be on watch for fast-spreading blazes, power outages and downed trees amid the latest round of notorious Santa Ana winds. Meanwhile, Pacific Gas and Electric Company cut the power to tens of thousands of accounts across the state in an attempt to limit possible ignitions during the dangerous conditions.

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/06/california-wildfire-risk-santa-ana-winds