Fire Crews Prevail Over Dry, Windy Conditions

Low humidity, high temperatures and high winds Monday turned foliage into fuel and made Orange County vulnerable to wildfire, but firefighters controlled the few scattered blazes before they spread.

Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties all were under a “red flag” fire warning from the National Weather Service on Monday, because of winds in excess of 30 mph and humidity that hovered around 15%.

But forecasters expect the wind to die down and the danger to abate after noon today.

Anaheim firefighters initially feared a blaze that burned a roof in Anaheim Hills would spread to the shake roofs of neighboring homes Monday afternoon, Fire Department spokeswoman Tabby Cato said.

“With the high winds, that was a big concern,” she said. “With the shake shingle roofs, which are very flammable, the fire can spread from rooftop to rooftop.”

But firefighters were able to douse the fire in the 100 block of North Avenida Pina before it spread. The fire still caused about $82,000 damage to the home, Cato said.

High winds did blow burning pine needles to the roofs of four homes in Santa Ana later that afternoon, though.

About 3:10 p.m., a pine tree ignited after brushing a power line at 2001 N. Olive St., Fire Capt. Loren Moyer said. The fire spread to the shake roofs of four nearby houses, but those flare-ups were extinguished before causing much damage, Moyer said.

Santa Ana firefighters also responded to a blaze about 30 minutes earlier that started in a gas meter at a vacant house in the 1600 block of North Bristol Street, Moyer said. The 2:40 p.m. fire caused about $20,000 damage, he said.

Although temperatures today are expected to reach the mid-80s to low 90s, the humidity will increase to about 40%, National Weather Service meteorologist Brandt Maxwell said. The red flag fire warning will be lifted at noon, and wind speeds will decrease gradually after that, forecasters said.