Power cut to thousands of customers amid elevated fire danger in SoCal

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Santa Ana winds whipped through much of the Southland Friday, pushing temperatures upward and raising concerns about possible wildfires, and the gusty conditions were expected to continue through much of Saturday.

Southern California Edison, meanwhile, warned customers in wind- and fire-prone areas that they could have their power cut as a precautionary measure aimed at preventing wildfires.

As of Friday evening, nearly 3,200 SCE customers in Los Angeles County had their power shut off as a precautionary measure. Nearly 21,000 more customers in L.A. County were being advised by the utility that they could also lose power, along with nearly 7,800 in Orange County. In San Bernardino County, nearly 3,800 customers had their power shut off.

Southern California Edison crews were surveying conditions in areas impacted by a red flag warning, such as Malibu and Calabasas.

SCE says power shutoffs are a last resort, and it's only done when necessary.

"We do not make this determination until it's the very last resort in order to keep our community safe," said Diane Castro of Southern California Edison. "If we do need to turn off power we try to limit the amount of customers impacted."

A big concern for power companies is debris. People are asked to check patio furniture and other yard items are secured.

Due to three wildfires last month, particle pollution such as blowing ash is leading to poor air quality.

The winds began battering parts of the region Friday morning and intensified through early afternoon. But as is typical with Santa Ana wind events, the gusts began to calm slightly later in the day.

The winds, however, were expected to gain strength late Friday night and continue into Saturday.

City News Service contributed to this report.