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U.S. NEWS Saturday 2 November 2019
Utility re-energized power line before fire

By JOHN ANTCZAK flank it with long drops of Vanrenen said Friday they
Associated Press retardant while helicopters are "cooperating with the
LOS ANGELES (AP) — South- dropped loads of water. investigations into the re-
ern California Edison said Red Flag warnings for gusts cent fires and will continue
Friday that it re-energized a and very low humidity lev- to respond to requests for
16,000-volt power line min- els had been expected to documents and other in-
utes before a nearby hilltop expire Friday evening but formation related to those
exploded into a blaze that forecasters extended them investigations."
is threatening thousands of to 6 p.m. Saturday for val- In Los Angeles, the last re-
homes. leys and interior mountains maining evacuations were
SCE and other utilities cut of Ventura and Los Angeles lifted in Brentwood, where
off power this week to hun- counties, citing the wither- a fire that erupted near The
dreds of thousands of Cali- ing conditions. Getty Center arts complex
fornians to prevent wind- "As recent fire activity roared into ridgetop and
storms from knocking down has shown, this remains a canyon neighborhoods
or fouling lines and spark- dangerous environment and destroyed eight ex-
ing devastating fires. for fire growth, even with pensive homes.
As the winds eased in most weaker winds than ear- In eastern Ventura County,
locations, SCE began re- lier this week," the National the Ronald Reagan Presi-
storing power. It was re-en- Weather Service wrote. dential Library reopened
ergizing a circuit 13 minutes Elsewhere, the state was to the public after be-
before a fire erupted near- free of fire weather warn- ing forced to shut down
by on a hilltop northeast of ings and only a few hun- Wednesday as a wind-driv-
Los Angeles, the utility told dred utility customers were en wildfire swirled around An air tanker drops retardant as the Maria Fire approaches
state regulators. awaiting restoration of the hilltop facility.q Santa Paula, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. Associated Press
Erratic winds continued to power that was shut off to
bedevil firefighting efforts wide areas in an attempt
Friday at the Maria Fire, to prevent blazes involving
which has burned some electrical equipment and
13 ½ square miles, threat- strong winds.
ens about 1,800 homes In Northern California, more
and other buildings, and people were allowed to re-
prompted evacuation or- turn to areas evacuated
ders for nearly 11,000 peo- due to the huge Kincade
ple. Fire burning for days in
Eastern Ventura, Camaril- the Sonoma County wine
lo, Somis and Santa Paula country.
were at risk, Ventura Coun- The 121-square-mile
ty fire officials said. (313-square-kilometer) fire
SCE said it had no infor- was 67% contained, the
mation about the actual California Department of
cause of the fire but will co- Forestry and Fire Protection
operate with investigators. said.
The fire began during what The tally of destroyed
had been expected to homes reached 167 and
be the tail end of a siege there were 33 more dam-
of Santa Ana winds that aged, Cal Fire said. Many
fanned destructively across other structures also
the region, but a tug-of- burned.
war developed between Historic, dry winds prompt-
those offshore gusts and ed the state's largest utility,
the return of some onshore Pacific Gas & Electric Co.,
flow from the ocean. to initiate four rounds of
"It has been an uphill battle widespread pre-emptive
ever since," Ventura Coun- shut-offs in Northern Cali-
ty Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen fornia this month to prevent
told a midday news con- wildfires.
ference. "We are finding But the Contra Costa Coun-
that the winds are starting ty Fire Protection District
to change and that pres- pegged the utility's equip-
ents its own challenges all ment as the cause of three
by itself." smaller fires that cropped
Wind shifts expose new ar- up Sunday in the San Fran-
eas of fuel to the fire, bring- cisco Bay Area suburbs of
ing "a pretty significant fire- Martinez and Lafayette.
fight," he said. And while the cause of the
The fire burned down the Kincade Fire hasn't been
sides of a mountain bor- determined, PG&E report-
dered by agricultural land, ed a problem with a trans-
the small city of Santa mission tower near the spot
Paula and other commu- where the fire started.
nities. Airplanes tried to Utility spokesperson Ari