Critical fire conditions are expected for much of SD County through Friday

ALPINE, Calif. (KGTV) – SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Parts of San Diego’s East County are experiencing strong Santa Ana winds this week, dropping humidity and creating critical fire risks for the area.

Red flag warnings are in effect for some parts of the East County through Friday due to high wind conditions.

According to Cal Fire, much of the San Diego region is particularly vulnerable this time of year, so the agency is standing by with additional resources in case a fire breaks out.

Cal Fire officials told ABC 10News it is fully staffed at 42 stations across the county. They also have the ability to deploy additional firefighters, fire trucks, hand crews and bulldozers.

But protecting the community during critical fire conditions comes with a number of challenges.

First, the county fire department said it patrols more than 1.5 million acres of unincorporated land, much of which is full of dry brush.

But wherever you are, that vegetation has had all summer to dry out. So the added Santa Ana winds and low humidity create the risk of a fire spreading quickly.

“Currently, brush throughout San Diego County contains less than 60 percent fuel moisture; that is a critical level,” said Cal Fire Capt. Robert Johnson. “So with critical levels of fuel moisture, along with Red Flag conditions, with higher wind speeds, lower relative humidity and higher temperatures, there is the potential for explosive fire behavior.”

The county requires residents to clear flammable brush around their homes, creating a defensible space of up to 100 feet.

However, Cal Fire doesn’t recommend doing that now because tools like lawn mowers can create sparks, creating the risk of new fires.

Instead, now is a good time to prepare emergency kits in case of evacuation, filled with things like medicine and food.

Amid concerns about the fire, San Diego Gas & Electric has shut off power to more than 1,200 buildings in the county. Another 23,000 customers in the western part of Chula Vista may be at risk of additional outages.

As of Thursday morning, SDG&E has turned off power to 1,263 customers in the following communities:

• Boulevard
• Campo
• Descanso
• Jamul
• Potrero
• Viejas Reservation

For the most up-to-date information on SDG&E’s public safety power shutoffs, visit https://www.sdge.com/ready.