A California utility shut off power in 19 counties in the northern and central part of the state as a major 'diablo wind.'
FILE - A firefighter sprays water in front of an advancing wildfire Friday, Oct. 11, 2019, in Porter Ranch, Calif.
The "diablo wind" is forecast to cause sustained winds reaching 35 mph in many areas, with possible gusts topping 65 mph along mountaintops, according to the National Weather Service. The strong winds are expected to last through part of the weekend. "The duration and extent of power outages will depend on the weather in each area, and not all customers will be affected for the entire period," the utility said.
During a diablo wind, common in the fall, the air is so dry that relative humidity levels plunge, drying out vegetation and making it ready to burn. The name — "diablo" is Spanish for "devil" — is informally applied to a hot wind that blows near the San Francisco region from the interior toward the coast as high pressure builds over the West.
The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for the valleys and mountains of Los Angeles County, portions of the Inland Empire, and the San Bernardino Mountains. "Humidities are drying out and we have the winds, if we had a fire spark it could really spread quickly because of the current conditions," Wofford said.
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