Nearly 4,000 utility customers still without power in Fallbrook area

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County remained under a red-flag warning for extreme fire danger Thursday, as gusty Santa Ana winds and low humidity combined to heighten the risk of wildfires and more than 70,000 local utility customers — including more than 4,000 in and around Fallbrook — were still without power Thursday afternoon, their electricity shut off as a precaution. Meanwhile, the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District announced Thursday morning that classes will be virtual-only for the day, following that up later with an announcement that classes would remain online-only on Friday as well.

"Due to updated reports from the National Weather Service and SDGE, we are anticipating continued high winds combined with internet and power outages," FUESD said in its follow-up statement Thursday afternoon. "Therefore, tomorrow (on Friday, Dec. 4) FUESD school sites and Day Camps will remain closed. Again, we believe this is the safest option for students, staff, and families."

FUESD said lunches were available for students who regularly attend in-person classes on Thursday between 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the "front circle" of students' respective school sites.

For Friday, FUESD said families may visit FUESD's central kitchen at 409 W. Fallbrook Street between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to receive grab-and-go meals.

Humidity levels dipping below 10%, sustained 30-plus-mph winds and gusts of 60 mph or higher are expected to create "extremely critical'' combustion hazards through the weekend in local communities into the early afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, including areas near Fallbrook.

The National Weather Service's red-flag warning is effective from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 10 p.m. Saturday for local inland valley and highland areas. The most intensive critical fire-weather conditions were expected to last through Friday morning, meteorologists advised.

Due to the wildfire warning, San Diego Gas & Electric on Tuesday notified about 88,700 of its customers in inland communities that they could be subject to public-safety power shutoffs from Wednesday night into the weekend, and potentially through Monday. As of Thursday morning, 73,348 customers had their power shut off, with another 21,806 under consideration for shutoffs, according to the SDG&E web site. Approximately 4,900 of the customers facing shutoffs were in the Fallbrook, Bonsall, Rainbow and Pala areas. By Thursday afternoon, a few thousand shutoffs had been lifted, but power remained out at 70,613 addresses, including about 4,200 in Fallbrook, Bonsall, Rainbow and Pala.

Because of the precautionary power shutoffs, in addition to FUESD, schools in the Alpine Union School District, Dehesa School District and Warner Unified School District, as well as four middle schools in the Cajon Valley Union School District, announced they would be closed Thursday, according to the San Diego County Office of Education.

The dry and windy weather pattern is likely to continue into next week, though likely in a weakened manner, forecasters said.

A brush fire broke out in the unincorporated Rancho San Diego area near El Cajon late Wednesday and blackened 25 acres. The Willow Fire was 5% contained as of 2 a.m., but authorities announced progress of the flames had been stopped.

The fire was reported at about 10 p.m. Wednesday in the 2800 block of Willow Glen Drive and precautionary evacuations were underway for residents in the 2500 block of Wind River Road, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

No injuries were immediately reported and details about what sparked the blaze were not immediately available.

City News Service contributed to this report.