By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2025 (San Diego) – January’s freakish weather continues with both fire danger and frost forecast for this week.  The weather hazards line up for a potentially “worse case” scenario, the National Weather Service predicts.

A red flag warning has been issued for San Diego County’s inland mountains and valleys Monday and Tuesday due to low humidity and strong winds forecast.

Cold mornings will also bring frost in sheltered inland valleys west of the mountains.

Widespread wind gusts over 35 miles per hour are expected, with a high potential for gusts up to 60 miles per hour in the mountain areas Monday and Tuesday.

Inland valleys and lowlands may also see gusts over 40mph.  A second round of Santa Ana winds is expected Thursday.

There is a chance of patchy fog that may reduce visibility in the early morning, resulting in hazardous conditions for travel.

Stay safe! Sign up to receive free East County Wildfire and Emergency Alerts via email at https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/wild-fire-alerts.

You can also follow EastCountyAlert on X (formerly Twitter.)

Source: SDG&E

January 12, 2025 (San Diego) –On Friday,  San Diego Gas & Electric reported that it had restored power to all customers affected by Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). Despite the restorations, unprecedented and prolonged dry conditions continue. SDG&E encourages customers to remain prepared with the potential for future shutoffs in the coming days.

SDG&E began de-energizing customers earlier this week in response to elevated wildfire weather conditions and the driest start to the rainy season in San Diego County in the past 174 years. This proactive measure was taken to reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety. Following patrols and inspections of power lines on foot and by air, SDG&E crews restored power for all customers who were impacted by PSPS as of Friday evening.

During this week’s PSPS, SDG&E opened Community Resource Centers in the affected areas, providing customers with services such as Wi-Fi, food, and phone and medical device charging. With power now restored, all of the Community Resource Centers have been closed.

For information about this PSPS event and the potential for future events, please visit SDGEToday.com or follow SDG&E’s X channel, @SDGE. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Lakeside Fire Department, which has sent firefighters to battle the Palisades wildfire

January 11, 2025 (Los Angeles) – After days of massive destruction and widespread evacuations, firefighters are finally making progress on four remaining wildfires in the Los Angeles area.  At least 13 people have died in the fires, which have destroyed an estimated12,000 structures, the Los Angeles Times reports.

At least 90 firefighters from San Diego County have been dispatched to help fight the L.A. fires, including Lakeside Fire Department, which posted photos on social media of the Palisades Fire that their firefighters have been battling since Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands remain evacuated, as firefighters slowly make progress toward controlling fires fueled initially by hurricane-force winds.

Here are the latest updates from Cal Fire and L.A.-based news outlets:

The Palisades Fire has burned 22,600 acres and is now 11% contained. The wildfire has ravaged Pacific Palisades, portions of Malibu, and homes along Pacific Coast Highway.  Current evacuation orders include much of Brentwood, Encino,Calabasas, Sansta Monica,Malibu and Pacific Palisades.  This fire has damaged or destroyed around 5,300 homes; another 12,000  structures are still threatened.

The Eaton Fire has scorched14,117 acres and is 15% contained. Around 7,000 structures have been damaged or lost, according to fire officials, in Pasadena and Altadena.

The Kenneth Fire is now 80% contained after burning 1,052 acres near the Los Angeles and Ventura county lines. All evacuation warnings have been

lifted.

Evacuation orders have also been lifted for the Hurst Fire, which burned approximately 779 acres in the Sylmar area.  The Hurst Fire is now 76% contained.

At least two other fires have been fully contained, including a blaze that threatened portions of Hollywood.

Firefighters have come from across the region and as far away as Canada and Mexico. Canada has deployed 250 firefighters, while Mexico has sent at least 101 “bomberos” or firefighters to L.A.  Numerous inmate firefighters are also help to control the conflagrations.

After Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state emergency, President Joe Biden cancelled a planned trip to Italy to meet with the pope in order to get aid to California. President Biden announced that the federal government will cover “100 percent of all the costs” to fight fires in Los Angeles County, higher than the 75% customarily granted by the federal government to states during disasters.

It is unclear whether President-elect Donald Trump’s administration will continue to provide aid to California, since Trump has previously threatened to withhold disaster aid from states that didn’t vote for him.  Asked if he is confident that the Trump team members will continue to send disaster aid to California,  Biden responded, ”I pray to God they will,” Politico reports.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Henri Migala: Palisades Fire in Los Angeles

January 9, 2025 (Los Angeles) – Over 179,000 people are under evacuation orders as massive fires continue to burn across Los Angeles County, with no containment as yet on the worst conflagrations.  Fire officials’ estimates of homes lost range from several hundred to over 1,000, and at least five people have died.

The Palisades Fire has scorched over 1,700 acres, burning all the way to the Pacific Ocean.  Videos posted online show massive destruction of homes along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Most of Pacific Palisades has been destroyed, with evacuations as far away as Santa Monica. It remains 0% contained.  Low water pressure left some hydrants without water and high winds have restricted firefighting aircraft, leaving the blaze to burn out of control in its crucial early hours, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Eaton Fire has charred over 10,000 acres in Pasadena and Altadena.  It is 0% contained; this is the fire in which five people are confirmed dead, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills also forced evacuations. It has burned 42.8 acres and is 0% contained, per the Watch Duty App.

In Sylmar, the Hursts Fire has burned 855 acres and is 10% contained.

The Lidia Fire in Soledad Canyon is reportedly 40% contained, with forward progress stopped.

Only the Woodley Fire, which started in an L.A. nature preserve, has been 100% contained.

The wildfires have been fueled by in some cases hurricane-force winds amid the driest conditions in more than a century for this time of year.  The winds are forecast to continue, making firefighters’ work challenging.  “We are absolutely not out of danger yet,” Los Angeles FireDept. Chief Kristinj Crowley stated today.

Firefighting reinforcements have come in from numerous areas, including San Diego County.  The Governor has declared a statewide emergency and President Joe Biden has pledge reimbursement for firefighting expenses, though President-Elect Donald Trump has threatened to withhold firefighting aid for California. 

How you can help

GoFundMe has launched the California Wildfire Relief Hub to help those affected by wildfires in Los Angeles County and potentially other California communities if future fires occur. Each fundraiser in the hub has been verified by GoFundMe’s trust and safety team

Resources available for impacted customers at community resource centers

January 8, 2025 (San Diego) – This week marks the driest start to the rainy season in San Diego County in 174 years. As a result of these dry conditions and Santa Ana winds, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) continues to implement Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) in an effort to reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety.

As of tonight, 8,946 customers have power shut off.  Another 69,155 are at risk of power shutoffs.The effort aims to prevent hellacious firestorms such as those currently ravaging L.A., as wind gusts up to 85 miles per hour are forecast to reach San Diego County soon.

Because of the extended wind forecast, customers may experience prolonged or more than one PSPS. An up-to-date list of impacted communities can be found at sdge.com/ready.

Available Resources for Impacted Customers

SDG&E is opening of Community Resource Centers in affected communities. These Centers are equipped with resources such as Wi-Fi and phone and medical device charging, and they will remain open for customers in need until conditions improve. A list of active Community Resource Center locations and their hours of operation can be found at sdge.com/ready.

SDG&E has also partnered with 211 San Diego and Orange County United Way (formerly 211 Orange County) to offer enhanced community resources during a PSPS. 211 is free, confidential and available to answer customer calls 24/7, in over 200 languages. Customers with hearing impairment can dial 211 or 711 and ask to be connected to 211 at 858-900-1211.

PSPS & Unplanned Outage Safety Tips

High winds and other weather conditions also have the potential to lead to unplanned outages throughout the region, which are separate from a PSPS. Customers are encouraged to visit SDG&E’s outage map at sdge.com/outages for unplanned outage details and expected restoration times.

• Customers should never approach damaged infrastructure or downed power lines and should instead report them by calling 911 or SGD&E’s call center at 1-800-411-7343.
• Generator Safety: While backup generators can be a valuable tool when a power outage occurs, using a generator incorrectly can be dangerous. Customers are encouraged to visit sdge.com/generator to find safety guidelines to help keep their family and home safe.

For ongoing updates about this PSPS, visit SDGEtoday.com or follow SDG&E’s X channel, @SDGE.