High Winds Fuel Calif. Fires

Southern California residents awoke Tuesday morning to continued high winds, leaving officials worried about more fires breaking out.

The Santa Ana winds, which began over the weekend, contributed to several fires, downed power lines and overturned vehicles. A wildfire aided by 30 mph winds had burned some 400 acres of brush near Highland in the foothills of the San Bernardino National Forest, 65 miles to the east of Los Angeles.

A number of Southern California Edison customers were without power Tuesday morning after winds downed power lines. Officials said the majority of outages were in the San Gabriel Valley foothill communities and along the Inland Empire.

A fire to begin the week destroyed a home and damaged five others in Tujunga, a foothill area of northeast Los Angeles. In the suburban La Canada Flintridge, a Monday fire resulted in the evacuation of 15 homes.

The National Weather Service reported much of the region would continue under a red flag warning through Tuesday afternoon, resulting in high winds and low humidity, two conditions that can lead to dangerous fires.

Topics California