Autumn-like Santa Ana winds raked across Southern California today, toppling a few trees and causing scattered blackouts, but forecasters warned the fire danger will get worse as temperatures climb above 100 in many areas this week.
Peak wind gusts of 60 miles per hour were clocked at a National Weather Service wind gauge above Topanga, and winds were also above 50 miles per hour in the Castaic and Santa Clarita areas.
A fire that was propelled by gusts of wind damaged a 5,625-square-foot commercial structure in the Sunland area this morning, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman said.
The 4 a.m. blaze was pushed by wind gusts of 15 to 25 mph.
About 1,100 Westside residents were blacked out overnight by wind-caused power problems, and one large tree fell onto a parked car east of Santa Monica Airport.
No delays were reported today at the Los Angeles and Ontario airports, where crosswinds out of the north were generally below 20 miles per hour.
Two roads in high fire-risk areas northeast of Azusa were closed at the request of forest rangers: Glendora Mountain Road and Glendora Ridge Road.
Red Flag Warnings remained up for all areas south of the Tehachapi Mountains, although the winds were expected to be “somewhat weaker” tonight and Monday, the NWS said.
And the air, already bone dry with less than 10 percent relative humidity, was expected to get hotter and drier.
That trend will continue Tuesday and Wednesday, the NWS said, with most coastal areas and valleys expected to be in the 90s and 100s.
