The Weather Service also forecast wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour and up to 50 miles per hour at higher elevations, raising concerns that weather conditions could fan
As a precaution, the utility company Pacific Gas and Electric said it had shut off power on Sunday in portions of the North Valley and Northern and Central Sierra regions, affecting about 65,000 customers. Power was expected to be restored by the end of the day Monday.
“Once the high winds subside Monday morning, PG&E will inspect the de-energized lines to ensure they were not damaged during the wind event, and then restore power,” the company said in a statement. “PG&E will safely restore power in stages as quickly as possible, with the goal of restoring power to nearly all customers who are safe to restore within 12 daylight hours after severe weather has passed.”
More than 1.2 million acres have burned across Northern California after lightning strikes sparked hundreds of fires on Aug. 15, according to Cal Fire. Since the beginning of the year, more than 8,100 wildfires have burned more than 3.7 million acres.
The 2020 fire season has also proved disastrous for Oregon and Washington State, burning another million acres across both states, destroying hundreds of homes and, for weeks, blanketing the West Coast in some of the most unhealthy air conditions in the world.
Experts say that climate change has worsened the fires. Higher temperatures and drier conditions have made it easier for vegetation to burn, causing fires to become bigger, more intense and harder to extinguish.
Historically, fire seasons in California began around June and July and lasted into October, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire, Cheryl Buliavac, said on Monday. But seasons have been growing longer.