Westside particularly vulnerable as powerful Santa Ana winds bring fire danger, experts say

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Red flag warnings are in place Thursday morning for what officials say could be dangerous Santa Ana winds.

Between Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon, large swaths of Southern California will see sustained winds of 20 to 40 mph and gusts from 40 to 60 mph, according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

In the windiest mountain locations, gusts could reach 70 mph, he said.

High Wind Watches, Wind Advisories, & heat Advisories have all been issued. Avoid any activities that may create a spark, secure those outdoor holiday decorations, and stay hydrated! Make sure to check in on loved ones. #CAwx #SantaAnaWinds #FireWx pic.twitter.com/A8zkll2UGN

While winds will hit many parts of the region, officials are concerned about some specific areas.

Although Southern California got some rain Sunday and Monday, most of it fell in areas south of Los Angeles County, Kittell said, leaving Los Angeles and Ventura counties very dry.

Areas west of the 405 freeway are at a greater risk for wildfires than those east of the 405, which benefited from rain from post-Tropical Storm Rachel, said Daniel Swain, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources climate scientist. Some places received 2 to 5 inches of rain, while others in Southern California got essentially no rain.

“West of that point, almost no rain fell at all, and in early October we had a record-breaking heat wave,” Swain said. “East of the 405 in Southern California, the fire risk is lower because it recently rained.”

The fire risk isn’t nearly as bad as in January 2025, just prior to the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, which destroyed much of Altadena and Pacific Palisades, Swain said. Still, there are concerns.

“This is not January 2025. The winds are not going to be anywhere near as strong. They will not be as widespread. The vegetation is not as dry. So every single factor is less extreme than in January 2025,” Swain said. “The risk is not going to be as high, and it will be more localized because some places have seen recent rain.”

But in places that have remained dry, there will be risks.

In those “pockets,” Swain said, “this will be potentially a fairly high-end event. So on the western side of the L.A. metro [area], into Ventura, Santa Barbara counties, the risk is still potentially pretty high. … It just hasn’t really rained there much yet this season, and there was recent record heat, and the wind will be pretty strong. So there may be public safety power shutoffs.”

After a short stretch of cool weather ends, our first Santa Ana Wind event of the season has prompted Red Flag Warnings & Fire Weather Watches for much of Southwest California due to gusty winds, low humidities, and hot temperatures. These conditions peak Thursday-Friday. pic.twitter.com/dM6BuVsF3N

The weather service issued wind advisories and high-wind warnings in the mountains to highlight that “the wind itself could cause issues like downed power lines, power outages, road hazards and general nuisance,” Kittell said.

On Tuesday evening, Southern California Edison’s online dashboard said it was considering public safety shutoffs for more than 220,000 customers — roughly 4.5% of its total customers — because of heightened wildfire risk. The company is considering shutoffs in Kern, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura counties. San Diego Gas and Electric has not announced public safety shutoffs, according to the company’s dashboard.

Pacific Gas and Electric announced it was also considering outages for customers in dozens of counties.

First Santa Ana winds of the season bring fire danger to L.A. Thursday and Friday Oct. 13, 2026 Show Comments California The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.

Terry Castleman is a data reporter on the Fast Break Desk covering breaking news. In 2020, he was named alongside his colleagues as a Pulitzer Prize finalist in explanatory reporting. Previously, he worked at the New York Times and volunteered as a first responder for refugees arriving on the shores of Lesvos.

Rong-Gong Lin II is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times based in San Francisco who specializes in covering statewide earthquake safety issues and other natural disasters, public health and extreme weather. The Bay Area native is a graduate of UC Berkeley and started at The Times in 2004.

Iris Kwok is a breaking news reporter at the Los Angeles Times. She was a 2025-26 reporting fellow at The Times and previously covered the environment at Berkeleyside. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where she studied political science and music. A lifelong cellist, she has written about classical music for the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Classical Voice. She grew up in the Bay Area and the Sacramento region.

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