Remarkable California Wind Sets Odd Wildfire, Causes Other Damage

Wildfire burns near a bridge in Big Sur, California as
strong winds stirred up fire conditions despite drought-
denting rains last month. 

 Probably the worst Santa Ana winds in California caused widespread damage over the past couple of days and set a very out of season wildfire in Big Sur. that is still burning today. 

The fire just inland from the central California coast closed part of iconic Route 1 and prompted evacuations. It is quite odd to have a wildfire in this part of California in January - the peak of what is normally the wet season. 

California did get some big rains and snows in December, which has led to wetter ground conditions, but hasn't fully erased the state's drought. There's been no precipitation around Big Sur since around January 3-4, and the strong winds were enough to set the blaze in motion. off the blaze,

"Anecdotally, it seems as the long-term drought is acting like a chronic illness where even recent rains and cold winter weather isn't helping to keep fires from developing," the National Weather Service office in the San Francisco said in a Twitter statement. 

California needs a LOT more precipitation to get to where they want to be. There's still not much rain in the forecast. They'd better hurry up and get some storms.  Rainy season for most of the state ends with a couple months. 

Huge tree down in Altadena, California due to ferocious
Santa Ana winds this past weekend. Photo via Twitter
from @edgarmcgregor 

Elsewhere in California, the high winds caused widespread damage from the San Francisco Bay Arae all the way down to the San Diego area.  

Peak wind gusts included 96 mph near Healdsburg Hills, 89 mph outside of Los Angeles near Mount Lukens Truck Trail with similar gusts near Fremont Canyon. In the Sierra Nevada, a gust of 141 mph was clocked in Kirkwood.  

Numerous homes, cars and other buildings in California were hit by falling trees. In Ontario, California, a large tree crushed a duplex, and residents had to climb through back windows to escape.

Winds were dying down today, so the worst is over.