Warning because ‘diablowind’ could cause fires and power outages throughout California
A warning has been issued to 30,000 California residents because ‘diablo winds’ could cause fires and power outages this week.
The phenomenon is the colloquial name for hot, dry winds that blow from the northeast and sometimes affect the San Francisco Bay Area and California’s central coast.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has reported that wind speeds could reach up to 45 miles per hour, but could exceed 60 miles per hour in certain locations.
Out of an abundance of caution, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), a California utility, has notified customers in the state’s northern and central coastal areas that it may shut down power lines to reduce the risk of electrical arcing.
The NWS has issued a ‘red flag’ fire warning for parts of Northern California as hot, dry ‘Diablo’ winds are forecast to blow through the state
Nine Bay Area counties, including San Francisco, the Peninsula Coast and the San Francisco Bay coastline, have been notified of the potential impacts.
In addition to cities in the fire risk zone, there are also Napa, Berkeley, San Jose and Big Sur, according to the NWS.
Officials are urging residents in the wind’s path to have a contingency plan in case a fire starts in their neighborhood.
These winds are most common during spring and fall, and studies have shown that climate change increases the likelihood of wind-driven extreme fire conditions in the fall.
Diablo winds hit California with gusts that scorch the land and make it much easier for wildfires to spread quickly.
Officials said winds are expected to reach 40-50 km per hour, with gusts up to 70 km per hour, with peak winds late Thursday through Friday.
At higher elevations – especially in the interior mountains of the North Bay and the Diablo Range – wind gusts can exceed 60 miles per hour.
“The wind is from the north, not the typical ocean breeze off the water, which would be cooler,” said Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the NWS’s San Francisco Bay Area office.
The warning applies from Thursday 11:00 PM to Saturday 5:00 PM local time.
“This could be the highest fire risk period of the year so far,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said on X.
That’s partly because these winds come from an exceptionally hot and dry summer, with some areas not having rain since July, according to Golden Gate Weather Services.
The Kincade fire that devastated Sonoma County in 2019 started when a cable on a PG&E transmission tower snapped and was fanned by Diablo winds
Previous fires, fueled by Diablo winds, were devastating.
The Kincade Fire that devastated Sonoma County in 2019 started when a cable on a PG&E transmission tower snapped and was fanned by Diablo winds. It burned more than 77,000 hectares and destroyed almost 400 buildings.
In 2017, the Tubbs Fire in Napa County killed 22 people and burned approximately 36,000 acres. Sparked by a problem with a private electrical system, the fire was fanned by Diablo winds.
And the 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm killed 25 people, injured 150 others and destroyed more than 3,000 homes. The Diablo winds helped spread this fire, throwing the embers in all directions.
Until the winds clear, residents of the affected areas are prohibited from using fire pits or barbecues, and from driving off-road, which could start a grass fire.
Officials have also warned residents to avoid using mowers or power tools outdoors, and asked people to double-check trailer chains to make sure they aren’t dragging on the road, as the friction can cause sparks.