Winds Kill One, Spark NorCal Fire Danger

A 65-year-old man died in Santa Rosa on Sunday after a tree limb struck him during strong winds, and a woman suffered major injuries in a separate branch strike, according to the Santa Rosa Fire Department. The wind event unfolded as forecasters warned that dry air, gusty conditions and unseasonably warm temperatures were raising wildfire danger across Northern California. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. also carried out Public Safety Power Shutoffs in parts of its service area as crews responded to weather-related outages. By Tuesday, the National Weather Service said the strongest weekend winds had eased, but warm and dry weather would continue through the week. ### How did the Santa Rosa incidents happen? Santa Rosa Fire Department officials said crews responded to two wind-related injuries on Sunday, one of them fatal. NorCal Public Media, citing Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal, reported that a 65-year-old man was struck by a tree limb and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A woman was hit in a separate incident and taken to a hospital with major injuries. Howard Street in Santa Rosa was one of the locations tied to the emergency response. ABC7 reported that the fire department said a branch snapped off a tree and fell on the man, while another person was injured by a falling tree as strong winds caused damage across the Bay Area. ### How strong were the winds around Northern California? (norcalpublicmedia.org) An 86-mph gust was recorded just after midnight Monday on Mount Umunhum in the Santa Cruz Mountains, according to meteorologist Rachel Kennedy, as cited by regional reports. The same reports said Mount St. Helena in Napa County recorded a 73-mph gust on Monday morning, while many lower-elevation areas saw sustained winds of 15 mph to 30 mph with higher gusts. (abc7news.com) Santa Rosa itself saw winds exceeding 40 mph, NBC Bay Area reported, citing the fire department. The city also dealt with more than 15 wind-related incidents and numerous power outages as branches and trees came down. ### Why did forecasters warn about fire danger? The National Weather Service said Northern California was under a dry “inside slider” pattern, with a low-pressure system dropping south from the Pacific Northwest and keeping conditions dry and windy. (claycord.com) CBS San Francisco reported that the weather service issued a red flag warning for parts of Solano County, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the Sacramento Valley and the Central Valley because gusty winds were combining with low humidity. (nbcbayarea.com) CAL FIRE expanded the warning area on Sunday, according to the same report. Forecasters said north winds of 20 to 30 mph, gusts of 35 to 45 mph and isolated gusts up to 50 mph around the Delta and the far western Sacramento Valley could help any new fire spread quickly in dry vegetation. CAL FIRE’s statewide incidents page said Northern California is expected to see a warming and drying trend into early summer, with fuel receptiveness increasing as seasonal curing progresses. (cbsnews.com) The agency said significant fire potential is expected to rise to above normal from May through July in Northern California. ### Where did the wind event affect power and fire response? PG&E said on May 18 that crews had restored essentially all customers affected by its Public Safety Power Shutoff by 6 p.m. that day after inspecting equipment and making repairs. (cbsnews.com) The utility said peak wind gusts of 73 mph were recorded during the event, and earlier updates showed shutoffs and weather-related outages affecting thousands of customers. (fire.ca.gov) Bay Area crews also responded to fires during the wind event. ABC7 reported that firefighters contained a 3-acre fire in Napa County and an 80-acre fire along Altamont Pass as officials urged residents to avoid activities that could spark new fires. ### What weather comes next? The National Weather Service Sacramento office said on May 19 that warm and dry weather would prevail through the week and into the weekend, with areas of Moderate HeatRisk from Wednesday through Friday. (pge.com) Forecasters said valley highs were expected in the 90s, with the warmest temperatures reaching the mid- to upper 90s on Thursday before cooler conditions arrive later in the weekend. (abc7news.com) The Sacramento forecast office said on Wednesday morning that highs in the low to mid-90s were expected across the valley and repeated its fire-safety guidance, including avoiding outdoor burning and spark-producing equipment. CAL FIRE’s incidents page continued to list active fires statewide on May 20 as agencies monitored conditions heading deeper into the season. (weather.gov) (forecast.weather.gov)