Major brush fires burning in SoCal amid powerful windstorm

The South Coast Air Quality Management District on Tuesday issued a windblown dust advisory for a wide swath of Southern California.

Affected cities across several counties included Santa Clarita, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Ana, Ontario, Riverside, Menifee and Indio.

The advisory is scheduled to take effect at 10 a.m. Tuesday and will expire at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

"High PM10 levels in the region are a result of gusty Santa Ana winds, which can lift dust and soil into the air," the AQMD said in a statement, referring to particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less, which is small enough to be inhaled and reach the lungs.

High winds may also disperse ash from the Line, Airport and Bridge wildfire burn scars, the agency said.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced it was closing all Malibu schools Tuesday due to dangerous weather conditions but that Santa Monica schools remained open.

The closure includes Malibu Elementary, Webster Elementary, Malibu Middle and Malibu High schools.

A windstorm that forecasters described as potentially destructive and life-threatening was developing across the Southern California, dramatically raising the risk of wildfires for the next several days.

"We continue to monitor the situation along with our partners including the City of Malibu and So Cal Edison and will keep you informed of plans for reopening.

"We share your concerns, and our thoughts are with the Malibu community during this challenging weather event," Superintendent Antonio Shelton said in a statement. "We share your concerns, and our thoughts are with the Malibu community during this challenging weather event."

Santa Monica schools will remain open.

According to a Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson, they are relocating Topanga Elementary School to Woodland Hills Academy out of an abundance of caution.

The district implemented the following precautionary measures for its schools:

• Pop-up canopies, tree branches, or other objects that may become airborne and exposed to wind damage will be secured.

• Students and staff will be kept away from these areas while high winds are present.

• Schools will report broken or fallen tree limbs immediately.

• Construction related activities that have the potential to create dust will be suspended.

• Exercise caution with potential fire ignition sources.

• Impacted schools will limit outdoor activities for students.

The strong winds could knock trees over and cause branches to strike power lines, potentially causing power outages.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power urges customers to prepare for possible power outages by keeping a flashlight nearby, keeping your cell phone fully charged, and keeping a portable charger handy.

If you see a downed line, the LADWP urges you to not approach nor touch it. Immediately report it 9-1-1. You can track and report outages here.

The greatest concern is for Highway 118 to the 210 corridor from Simi Valley to Claremont, NWS said.

The strong gusts of wind increase the risk for downed trees and powerlines, which could affect the roads.

The Topanga Canyon Boulevard will be completely closed between Mulholland Drive and Pacific Coast Highway in the unincorporated L.A. County area of Topanga in the Santa Monica Mountains from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Friday due to the red flag warning.

The Los Angeles Fire Department declared a red flag alert with special red flag parking restrictions beginning 8 a.m Tuesday. For a map of impacted streets, click here.

"It is important that fire apparatus have room to respond quickly to a fast-moving brush fire while simultaneously allowing residents to evacuate, if necessary," said LAFD. "For this reason, special parking restrictions may exist on certain narrow streets in brush areas only during 'Red Flag Alert' conditions."

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin also activated Red Flag Parking Restrictions within the city from 7 a.m Tuesday through Wednesday afternoon. The full list of impacted streets can be found here.