Fires and Power Outages: The Santa Ana Winds
October 18, 2019
The Santa Ana Winds are extremely strong winds that have affected California for years. Last year the winds caused multiple fires, such as the Thomas Fire which brought trouble to residents. This fire changed many lives as it incinerated over 280,000 acres in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Many people were evacuated as their houses were engulfed in the dangerous flames. This year the winds have caused even more troubles than last year, with fires and power outages.
To prevent more fires in California, PGE (One of California’s largest utilities) was shut down on Wednesday. 34 out of 58 counties were affected by this power outage. 500,000 people lost their electricity on Wednesday, making life harder for everyone in the area, especially for people who need assistance on a daily basis. Turning the electricity back on will also be a hassle because technicians will have to check every inch of wire before they can get power back on, which could take about 5 days.
Even though PGE cut of power in California, there are still multiple fires burning in California due to the hot and dry winds. In Calimesa, the Sandalwood Fire is 77% contained, and it scorched for about 1,000 acres. The cause of the Sandalwood fire was that a dump truck driver unloaded burning trash on the side of the road, which ultimately sparked a brush fire. Many people were evacuated from the area, however 2 people were killed in their mobile homes.
Firefighters are making progress against the almost 8,000-acre Saddleridge fire, however the fire still blazes through the hills of the northern San Fernando Valley and forced residents to evacuate. So far, the fire is 41% contained. The cause of this fire is still unknown however officials say it could have been caused by a power line. There are also several other fires that caused destruction along with Sandalwood and Saddlerigde such as Taboose and Briceburg fires which changed many people’s lives.
All of this destruction in California is all due to the Santa Ana winds. Luckily the winds have died down, however we don’t know what’s yet to come next year.
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