REGION — San Diego County is on high alert as red flag warnings remain in effect through Friday morning due to blustery Santa Ana winds and dry conditions creating prime wildfire conditions.
The county’s sustained elevated fire risk follows a series of wildfires that have already blackened dozens of acres this week across the region. In Rancho Bernardo, firefighters halted the spread of a seven-acre blaze, officially called the Center Fire, near Interstate 15 on Wednesday after it forced evacuations and threatened homes and schools.
The Poway Unified School District said students were evacuated from Rolling Hills Elementary School to Poway High School. Rancho Bernardo Kinder Care students were also evacuated and reunified with families at a separate location.
Earlier this week, the Lilac Fire scorched 85 acres in the Bonsall area, damaging structures and prompting pre-dawn evacuations. As of Thursday morning, crews had fully contained the blaze, aided by water-dropping helicopters and fire retardant from air tankers.
The Lilac Fire started on Jan. 21, about 45 minutes after another fire to the south, in an open area just west of Interstate 15, near Canonita Drive in Pala Mesa. A third fire burned less than an acre in the Fallbrook area after breaking out at about 1:20 a.m.
Another wildfire burned 15 to 20 acres in Mission Valley on Jan. 22 before being brought under control.
Authorities warn that the ongoing threat of strong winds, dry vegetation and low humidity create a perfect storm for new fires to ignite and spread rapidly.
In a statement Thursday, San Diego Gas & Electric said its meteorologists, along with the National Weather Service, “expect Santa Ana winds to reach peak speeds and to continue early this morning that could persist through Friday.”
These conditions prompted SDG&E to implement public safety power shutoffs in rural areas earlier this week, leaving over 10,000 customers without power and putting 73,000 on notice for potential outages. Crews are working on restoring power to places where it is deemed safe.
A total of 1,598 customers have had service restored since Tuesday evening, the utility reported. SDG&E has set up community resource centers offering public access to wi-fi, phone charging and medical device support.
“Typically, SDG&E crews require four to eight hours of daylight to thoroughly inspect power lines on foot and by air for potential safety hazards,” which include downed wires, debris, tree branches, broken poles and hardware, or communication wire issues, company officials said.
The region has seen devastating wildfire activity this month, with two massive blazes in Los Angeles fueled by similar conditions. San Diego County’s emergency responders and utility providers urge residents to stay vigilant, prepare for potential evacuations, and report any signs of fire immediately.
While the winds are expected to subside by Friday, officials caution that the fire risk will remain elevated as the region continues to experience dry conditions.
The Coast News reporter Leo Place and City News Service contributed to this report.
