An extreme and rare wind event is on the way to Southern California this week, with 80-100 mile per hour winds expected in some regions.
The National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard noted on Facebook that areas not typically impacted by wind will be affected during this weather event.
In preparation for what it is calling “critical fire weather,” Cal Fire is moving firefighting resources from Northern California to Southern California, deploying additional crews and engines to Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties, according to a news release from the agency. This includes 45 fire engines and six hand crews, Cal Fire said.
Units in San Bernardino, San Diego and Riverside counties will increase their staffing during this time. The agency also plans to have more aerial firefighting resources in place as well as additional intelligence, dispatch and investigative resources.
Cal Fire Director and Chief Joe Taylor issued a reminder of the main cause of wildfires: Humans, who are responsible for 95% of wildfires.
“As we experienced in Ventura County in November with the Mountain Fire and again in December with the Franklin Fire in Malibu, wildfire is a year-round threat,” Tyler said the newsx release. “Please be vigilant and don’t be the cause of the next wildfire in your community.”
Out of an abundance of caution, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is relocating Topanga Elementary students to Woodland Hills Academy in the San Fernando Valley, according to a LAUSD spokesperson.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard will be closed between Mulholland Drive and Pacific Coast Highway from 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 10, according to Caltrans. The canyon will only be open to residents and local business traffic during this period.
The district has taken other precautions on their campuses, securing anything that could become airborne, keeping students and staff away from…
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