Thanksgiving Forecast: Strong winds, fire conditions expected over holiday

LOS ANGELES - Gusty winds and low humidity are set to create dangerous wildfire conditions on Thanksgiving Day, continuing through Friday evening, forecasters said.

North to northeast wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are expected Thursday in the mountains, with 30-to-45 mph gusts expected in the coastal and valley areas, according to the National Weather Service. The strongest winds will be in the Interstate 5 corridor in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Humidity is expected to be 15-25 percent, the NWS said.

The NWS says a fire weather watch is in effect for most of Southern California as dangerous fire weather conditions are expected on Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday.

They urge residents to be cautious when near any fire sources such as cigarettes, campfires, mowers. 

Due to the elevated fire risk, SoCal Edison says Public Safety Power Shutoffs are under consideration for various communities in the SoCal region.

You can view the list of cities under power shutoff consideration by visiting sce.com/psps

The winds are expected to weaken over the weekend. 

Fire stations in Idyllwild are staffing the USFS helicopter base around the clock. Communities like Calimesa, affected recently by the El Dorado fire, are also on standby. Fire officials hoping that family gatherings for Thanksgiving will not include fireworks of any kind. The El Dorado fire started when pyrotechnics lit dry brush during a gender reveal party.

If you are having a gathering outside, that includes any kind of tenting, tie it down well along with umbrellas and other furniture.  Many people we spoke with say they are planning ahead and gassing up the generators, even planning an outside cookout. 
 

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