High winds prompt PG&E to shut power to 25,000 in California

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric began shutting off power to about 25,000 customers in central and northern California early Monday and Southern California Edison warned it may do the same for 9,000 of its customers as high winds threatened to damage electrical equipment and ignite wildfires.

Forecasters issued a red flag warning for extreme fire danger as winds gusted up to 55 mph (89 kph) in mountains and 25 to 45 mph (39 to 72 kph) in valleys. The warning extends until late Tuesday. The strongest winds are expected most of Monday, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

The planned outages are necessary because high winds, combined with low humidity and drought-ravaged vegetation, could raise the risk of trees falling on power lines and spark a fast-spreading wildfire, PG&E said in a statement. Heat waves and historic drought tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight in California and the rest of the U.S. West.

On the Central Coast, a tree fell onto power lines at Hearst San Simeon State Park, sparking a small fire in the brush, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection tweeted.

Winds were expected to pick up Monday afternoon to evening in Southern California, with projected gusts of 50 to 70 mph (80 to 113 kph). SoCal Edison said it may turn off power to customers in parts of Kern, Ventura and northern Los Angeles counties to reduce the threat of wildfires.

The National Weather Service said blowing dust was widespread from the Sacramento Valley, across the San Joaquin Valley and into the high desert Antelope Valley north of Los Angeles. Caltrans said sections of State Route 138 near the Antelope Valley city of Lancaster and State Route 14 were shut down due to the dust storm and several overturned trucks...