Red Flags Up Near Paradise, Blackout Warnings Near Lancaster
Written by 991KBU on June 21, 2019
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning up in Northern California.
And Southern California Edison is warning some residents up in the Antelope Valley that their electricity may be turned off due to high winds today.
No outages so far yet .. just the possibility.
And no blackouts anywhere near Malibu.
The NWS predicts wind gusts of up to 60 miles an hour up in the high desert.
And that is enough for SCE to start warning people up there … not in Malibu … in the Antelope Valley … that their power may be shut off as a fire prevention tool this afternoon.
No blackouts yet … and again this is 65 miles from Malibu.
And it’s one more sign … fire season and frequent power blackouts are coming.
Also today … high fire danger is expected from Sacramento north to Redding.
Red Flag Warnings are up there. , said Jim Matthews, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
Wind gusts reaching 40 mph are expected to blow through the region.
And … Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking the California Legislature to extend an existing charge on utility customers’ bills.
He hopes to generate $10.5 billion for a new wildfire fund.
It would help power companies to pay for fire damage — but only if they meet the state’s safety standards.
Details in the L A Times: https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-gavin-newsom-wildfire-utility-fund-20190621-story.html
