Lighter winds, cooler temperatures and increasing humidity help fight California fires

After a dangerous period of gusty, dry winds, weather conditions improved Sunday morning, helping firefighters as they battle blazes across the state, authorities said.

With the expiration of high wind warnings in Northern and Southern California, fire conditions have become more favorable for firefighters, according to Robert Foxworthy, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .

“We’ve survived these periods of more intense fires, but we’re obviously not out of the woods yet, especially for Southern California because we’re just entering the Santa Ana wind season,” said Foxworthy. “Until the state begins to receive measurable rainfall, the threat of wildfires will remain.”

In recent days, firefighters across the state have worked to contain fires in Oakland, Jurupa Valley, San Gabriel Canyon and Solano County.

The Keller Fire broke out Friday afternoon in the Oakland Hills and quickly grew to 15 acres, burning a swath of eucalyptus trees toward hillside homes. More than 200 firefighters intervened and stopped the progression of the fire while two houses were damaged, firefighters reported. As of Sunday morning, it was 70% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Rick Canepa, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Bay Area station, said winds in the Keller Fire area peaked at about 20 mph, but calmed Sunday morning. Sea breezes in the coming days will bring more moisture to the region, he said.

“Overall, conditions are much more favorable and temperatures will be much cooler,” Canepa said. “This is good news for the firefighters.”

In Riverside County, crews battled a 17-acre fire burning thick vegetation at the bottom of the Santa Ana River in the Jurupa Valley. Firefighters had the fire completely contained by Saturday evening, according to CalFire.

In San Gabriel Canyon, high winds reignited the smoldering bridge fire, causing the closure of San Gabriel Canyon Road, according to Caltrans. The devastating fire reached 99% strength earlier this month after burning 55,000 acres in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

Windy conditions helped fuel the 4,836-acre Shoe Fire in Northern California’s Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The fire, which prompted evacuation orders for about 12 homes when it started Oct. 9, was 22% contained as of Sunday morning but continued to burn through wood and brush.

U.S. Forest Service investigators determined the fire was human-caused, but have not released the circumstances.

In Solano County, thousands were without power as firefighters battled the 869-acre Hay Fire in Vacaville. This fire was 70% contained as of Friday evening, according to CalFire.

Forecasters said conditions had already improved in the area Sunday morning with the strongest wind gusting at 10 mph and humidity near 50 percent.

“The winds will weaken and we’ll get that landward flow, which will contribute to the humidity in that area tonight,” said Jeffery Wood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. “We expect humidity values ​​to improve throughout the week.”

The state’s three major utilities, PG&E, SCE and San Diego Gas & Electric, have adopted a strategy over the past decade of de-energizing their lines when their equipment is at risk of malfunctioning in high winds and to start a fire. Many of California’s deadliest and most destructive fires have been started by public facilities.

In northern and central California, Pacific Gas & Electric initiated power shutoffs for public safety reasons and as of Friday, about 17,000 customers had been cut off, according to PG&E. As of Saturday evening, around 1,300 people were still without power.

Southern California Edison, which provides electricity to about 15 million people in the Southland, cut power to more than 8,000 customers in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Inyo counties Saturday morning “due to the increased risk of wildfires,” the company reported. . As of Sunday morning, that number had dropped to 1,300 customers without power in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Inyo counties.

Southern California can expect to see sunny skies throughout the week, with temperatures ranging from the low to mid 70s along the coast to the mid 80s in inland areas and the valleys, according to the National Weather Service.

Staff writers Grace Toohey, Clara Harter and Alex Wigglesworth contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published in the Los Angeles Times.