Santa Anas Up To 60 Predicted For Thursday, As Embers Doused In Pac Palisades

With another big Santa Ana wind storm in the forecast in over the next three days … firefighters just east of Malibu are working hard to stamp out all embers and hot spots from yesterday’s brushfire.

About 40 acres of very steep mountainside went up in flames yesterday midday.

The fire was clearly visible from Malibu.

And it spooked a lot of people …. still skitterish after the disaster last year,

The fire started at the only access road to about 300 houses in the palisades highlands area … a subdivision carved out of the Santa Monica Mountains above Pacific Palisades.

This was along palisades Drive … north of Sunset … about a mile above PCH.

With just one road in … the area was cut off when the fire broke out in the steep Santa Ynez Canyon.

It burned up the hill towards houses.

A fleet of helicopters stopped the forward march just in time.

Malibu residents could see the Super Scoopers skimming along the coast … loading their cargoes.

But they were called off.

One firefighter reported injuries .. no details.

And one civilian sought medical attention, complaining of respiratory problems.

Evacuations were ordered… they were cancelled by 8 last night.

The worry … sparks could fly from a smoldering stump when winds pick up Wednesday night. We can expect areas of gusty northeast winds to develop in the and valleys of L.A. and Ventura counties late Wed night, and become widespread and peak in intensity on Thursday.

Winds from Malibu to the Hollywood Hills may cause dangerous fire weather conditions … The National Weather Service is warning of moderate to strong Santa Ana winds,.

Eastern Malibu has the same fire danger that we saw in Pacific Palisades yesterday.

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More dry and hot weather is predicted for today … and some big winds may hit tomorrow evening into Thursday.

How big???

Up to 60 miles per hour on the mountaintops.

High temperatures will be between 90 and 100 degrees today … except right along P C H … where it will be in the mid to upper 80s..

Widespread critical conditions will spread tonight.

The National Weather Service says there is still some uncertainty in the strength of the winds.

But peak gusts between 40 and 60 mph is the most likely outcome.

A decision on whether or not to convert this watch into a Red Flag Warning will be made this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

The winds will become widespread and peak in intensity on Thursday .… sprading into coastal sections of VTU County and L.A. County from Malibu to the Hollywood Hills.

Last Sunday, Southern California Edison cut power to a handful of customers in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County including Agua Dulce and Acton.

More than 17,000 other Edison customers in five counties — Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Santa Barbara and Ventura — are under consideration for power outages in coming days.