Windy weather on the way, bringing gusts and fire threat to the Valley and foothills

Heavy winds expected this week are prompting concerns about wildfire in the Northern San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills, even as firefighters are battling a blaze outside Yosemite National Park.

The winds have Pacific Gas & Electric Co. officials considering shutting off power to several Northern California counties in an effort to control potential fire hazards.

PG&E said in a news release Monday morning that it is monitoring fire weather and is “considering proactively turning off power for safety, and implementing a Public Safety Power Shutoff, across portions of approximately 30 northern, central, coastal and Bay Area counties.”

Those counties are: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Mariposa, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba.

Stanislaus County is primarily served by the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts for power. PG&E estimated that up to 1,088 of its customers in the county could be shut off. This is mainly on the West Side and in fire-prone spots in Modesto, Riverbank, Oakdale, Knights Ferry and La Grange.

Up to 34,413 customers in Tuolumne County could lose power, 23,748 in Calaveras and 1,812 in Mariposa, PG&E said. The number for San Joaquin County is just 52.

Locally, forecasters expect breezy conditions Wednesday and Thursday.

“Gusty northerly winds will be possible across Central Valley Wednesday into Thursday.” the Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services said in a Facebook post on Monday. “There is the potential for gusts exceeding 40 mph in the Valley and surrounding foothills and mountains.”

Authorities reminded people to secure “light yard furniture, table umbrellas, and outdoor Halloween decorations. We don’t want any ghosts flying away!”

The upcoming winds could provide an additional challenge for the firefighters battling the Briceburg fire near Yosemite. The fire, which broke out Sunday, was 550 acres and 5 percent contained Monday evening, according to Cal Fire. Highway 140 is closed in the area; this includes the entrance to the park.

The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report.

This story was originally published October 7, 2019 at 4:40 PM.