Two emergency shelters were opened Thursday in support of residents impacted by power outages, the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services said.
Santa Ana conditions and extremely dry vegetation are creating dangerous fire conditions the county has not seen since the Firestorm of 2007, according to a meteorologist for the U.S. Forest Service.
High winds and low humidity have prompted San Diego Gas & Electric to cut service to more than 5,000 customers.
SDG&E de-energized Circuit 79 just after 8 a.m. Tuesday, affecting 87 customers. Once it is determined safe to re-energize, the utility will turn the power back on.
Late Wednesday, service was cut to several back-country communities from Pala south to Boulevard as a precaution.
In anticipation of a week of increased fire danger, SDG&E has staged crews in the areas where winds were expected to be the strongest this week.
"Because power outages are more likely during windy conditions, we are encouraging customers to be prepared with flashlights, extra batteries, a battery-operated radio, and a phone that does not require electricity,"SDG&E Communications Manager Allison Torres said.
Local
The shelter locations opened by the American Red Cross are located at Bostonia Park & Recreation Center at 1049 Bostonia Street in El Cajon and East Valley Community Center at 2245 E. Valley Parkway in Escondido. The shelters open at 9 a.m.
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