Powerful Santa Ana winds force road closures, could shut down power in Topanga Canyon area

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Those dangerous Santa Ana winds are a major concern to firefighters who are still battling the Franklin Fire in Malibu. The high winds are also forcing the closure of several miles of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, where people could be left without power if conditions worsen.

The return of Red Flag conditions has all eyes on parts of Los Angeles County that did not see a fire last week, including Topanga in the Santa Monica Mountains -- although the Franklin Fire got close.

"I'm concerned about a new fire as well as embers from the old fire in Malibu coming this way. I'm pretty weary from all of this. This has been going on for a number of years where it's four or five times a year rather than once every five years," said Denis Hannigan, who has lived in the Topanga community for 40 years. "There's a great increase in wind weather and fire weather."

South Topanga Canyon Boulevard is now closed until at least 6 p.m. Wednesday from Mulholland Drive to Pacific Coast Highway, and at Old Topanga Canyon Road and Mulholland.

"It would be much worse if everyone had to evacuate and there was commuter traffic, so at this point the numbers are not in our favor. To get everybody out of the canyon could take 4-6 hours, but a fire could burn through in one to two hours," said Hannigan.

There's also a strong chance Southern California Edison will cut power to the Topanga area if the winds threaten power lines, which has sparked fires in the past.

This is the third time Topanga has been in this situation this year and businesses say they are really hurting because there's a constant threat the road will close.

"We are so grateful for all the firefighters and all the people putting their lives and effort and energy to save us and keep us safe. At the same time we would love to be more accessible to the outside world and be able to keep our businesses alive," said Topanga business owner and resident Enrico Busto.

RELATED: Santa Ana moderate wind event triggers fire weather watch, red flag warning

Just a few miles away, the Franklin Fire in Malibu is 63% contained and has burned over 4,000 acres. Crews have spent the past few days making sure no hotspots remain and resources are now pre-positioned for this new wind event.