Santa Anas Blow With Gusto During a Brief Visit to Ventura County

Other than the county’s fire agencies, no one gets more alarmed at the Santa Ana winds than the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

In addition to bending 100-foot eucalyptus trees as if they were cooked noodles and nudging cars onto the shoulder with every gust, it turns out the winds have a knack for tripping burglar alarms.

Saturday’s strong Santa Anas had deputies chasing one alarm call after another, in some instances more than once.

“They are a nuisance,” said Sgt. Rod Thompson, who estimated that deputies had responded to more than 50 wind-related alarm calls by early Saturday afternoon. “The alarms work so well that when the windows shake or the doors rattle, they go off. Then we’ve got to go out and check them.”

This weekend’s Santa Anas kicked up late Friday and continued through Saturday, whipping clouds of dust across area roadways and making life a little less comfortable for most county residents.

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service, who issued a high-wind advisory for the canyons and passes until 6 p.m. Saturday, predicted that the steady gales would begin to diminish late Saturday, giving way to light breezes and sunny skies today with highs in the 70s along the coast and the 80s inland.

Despite their brief visit to Ventura County, the winds managed to do more than just send a lot of sheriff’s deputies on wild goose chases.

In Ventura, two cars disappeared under a 15-foot limb that was ripped off a ficus tree. No injuries or damage were reported.

“We were sitting in our car getting ready to pull out when I heard this crack,” said Rock Nelson, whose late-model Volvo lay under tufts of dark, green leaves.

“Then it just fell on us.”

In Thousand Oaks, several people suffered minor injuries when the car in which they were riding slammed into a tree that had fallen in the steady winds.

The accident occurred shortly after 6 a.m. on Westlake Boulevard near Bridgeport Street. Those injured were treated at the scene and released, authorities said.

In addition to blowing over trees, the Santa Anas kept county firefighters on high alert Saturday, ready to battle flames before they could be whipped into a fury.

“It’s a red-flag day, so everyone’s standing at the ready,” said a dispatcher at the county Fire Department.

* MAIN STORY: A3