CORRECTION [1/15/2024, 4:05 p.m.]: A previous version of this article stated that moderate wind impacts were seen on Jan. 11. The article has been corrected to state that moderate air quality impacts were seen.

Santa Barbara County is at risk of a power outage due to the Santa Ana winds across the Central and South Coast, which have fanned the ongoing blazes in Los Angeles, according to Southern California Edison. The county is not in immediate danger of a fire, but red flag warnings are in place in the Santa Ynez Mountains.

About 60 Santa Barbara County customers of the electric utility company Southern California Edison are currently without power. Wesley Haver / Daily Nexus

About 60 Santa Barbara County (SBC) customers of the electric utility company Southern California Edison (SCE) are currently without power and 2,417  are at risk of a power shut-off throughout areas in SBC, according to SCE spokesperson Jeff Manford. In total, over 55,000 customers are without power in six counties, with the number of outages rising based on winds. 

Red flag warnings are in place, meaning there is an increased risk of fire danger, in the Santa Ynez Mountains due to strong Santa Ana winds, which are experiencing gusts ranging from 40 to 60 mph.

“A Red Flag Warning usually goes out for critical fire weather conditions, so that’s usually low humidity and gusty winds. That means if a fire gets started, it could spread rapidly,” National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Courtney Carpenter said. “Certainly pay attention to the weather forecast as it goes.”

Winds in Santa Barbara are currently light, ranging from 5 to 15 mph with higher elevations experiencing gusts up to 30 mph, according to Carpenter, who is aiding with calls in the Los Angeles area. The wind levels are expected to stay the same throughout the week.

The number of outages doubled within 24 hours in Southern California between Jan. 12 and 13 due to the fires, and 11,000 more are without power due to other causes, including damages.

A Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), which is a temporary power shutoff in specific areas to prevent risks of fires, was initiated in general areas to reduce hazards that could come from airborne debris, according to Manford. Hazardous objects include tumbleweeds, palm fronds and trampolines. Other factors that may initiate a PSPS are dry vegetation on the ground, expected prevailing wind and terrain, among others. No PSPS has been initiated in Isla Vista or Goleta as of now. 

Currently, air quality in Goleta and Santa Barbara is “good” according to Lyz Bantilan, Public Information Officer for the SBC Air Pollution Control District. Bantilan said moderate air quality impacts were seen on Jan. 11 as expected, but were short-lived and at a “moderate level.”

Bantilan said that in the past, fires from “other parts of the state” have transported smoke to the Santa Barbara area. She advised people to regularly check in on the air quality readings on the EPA Fire & Smoke map over concerns of potential smoke or ash traveling from fires.

“We’re thinking of the people in the Los Angeles area who are dealing with all the destruction and the smoke from those fires, and hope things improve for them soon,” Bantilan said.

Residents can check the power outage statuses at SCE’s outage status map and wind levels at the National Weather Service’s website. The Nexus will continue to report on this topic as more information becomes available.

A version of this article appeared on p.1 of the Jan. 16, 2025 edition of the Daily Nexus.

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