Santa Ana winds lead to parking restrictions in Los Angeles amid fire concerns

Parking restrictions are in effect in parts of Los Angeles where fire officials have determined that roads need to be clear for potential evacuations — the latest precaution against possible wildfires as strong Santa Ana winds hit Southern California.

A red flag warning for Los Angeles and Ventura counties will last through at least Monday, with rapid spread expected if a fire were to start, fanned by gusts of 40 to 60 miles an hour and as high as 70 miles an hour in some spots according to the National Weather Service.

Early Sunday, winds reached 70 miles an hour at Boney Mountain in the Santa Monica Mountains and 83 miles an hour at Magic Mountain Truck Trail near Santa Clarita.

Southern California Edison officials have warned that precautionary power shutoffs could be necessary to prevent fires.

In Calabasas, officials said that Southern California Edison, which provides power to most of the city, could implement a public safety power shutoff “for virtually ALL circuits” there on Sunday because of the strong winds. “Downed power lines can ignite dry brush and cause wildfires,” the city said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In Los Angeles, vehicles may be towed in areas where parked cars could pose a problem for firefighters or for evacuees needing to get out of the city quickly, such as very narrow roads, hairpin turns, tight curves and intersections that could create “a choke point,” according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Drivers can type an address into the fire department’s website to see if the red flag parking restrictions, which are in effect until at least Monday morning, apply.

In parts of the Antelope Valley, Salinas Valley and San Luis Obispo County, residents will also be dealing with cold temperatures. Those areas are under a freeze warning, with temperatures as low as 25 degrees expected Monday and Tuesday.

Weather officials advise that people facing freeze warnings bring their animals inside, protect sensitive crops and keep a windshield scraper handy.

Parts of the Bay Area, including the San Mateo Coast and Santa Clara Hills, are also facing powerful winds and red flag warnings this weekend.

“People need to just be careful right now with anything that could ignite a fire, because if it gets started in the right spot, it has the potential to spread very quickly,” said Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the Los Angeles/Oxnard National Weather Service office.

Activities that should be avoided include tossing cigarettes out of moving vehicles and leaving a campfire smoldering, Thompson said.

Last fall, strong Santa Ana winds and red flag warnings downed trees and left thousands of Southern Californians without power during the Thanksgiving holiday.

“This is a very typical Santa Ana event. It’s nothing unusual for this time of the year,” Thompson said.