In the 40 years that I’ve been writing about the weather in Southern California there have been only a couple of occasions in which I’ve received more questions about the Santa Ana winds than the ones I’m getting now, in relation to the catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles County and potential outbreaks in San Diego County.
Here are answers to some of the questions and observations I’m getting from people.
Q: Can humans run faster than wildfires spread?
A: A few can. Almost everyone else cannot.
Scientists say wildfires can spread at speeds up to 14.27 mph. Some elite sprinters can run more than 20 mph. The world record is held by Usain Bolt, who ran 27.78 mph in 2009. But these speeds are achieved only in short bursts. The average speed for non-sprinters varies greatly, influenced by fitness, gender and genetics. But its safe to say most people would be lucky to get up to 10-12 mph in a short sprint.
You should never put your self in a position where you’d have to run from a wildfire. In addition to the flames, the fire’s smoke could choke you and limit your ability to see (and you probably wouldn’t be wearing the right footwear anyway).
Q: Los Angeles has been getting fierce winds. Why hasn’t this occurred in San Diego County?
A: All of the people who’ve said this to me live at or near the coast where the winds — so far — haven’t been strong. But its been a different story inland, where gusts in the 85 mph to 95 mph range have been reported in isolated forest areas, and about 60 mph on Interstate 8, east of Alpine.
Usually, winds greatly weaken after they speed up while descending the western slopes of the mountains. But the Santa Anas sometimes blow hard at the coast when they follow favorable corridors to the sea, which could happen late Monday night and on Tuesday, when they next round of winds arrive.
In 1993, I covered the devastating Laguna fire in Orange County, where violent winds blew through town, fanning fires that caused some houses to explode. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Q: Is there a way to watch the live coverage that Los Angeles TV stations have on the wildfires?
A: There’s an easy solution. Use your smart phone or iPad to download the apps for such stations as ABC 7 Los Angeles and Fox 11 LA. Then press the “live” button. You’ll get a free, live feed. For fire coverage in San Diego, download apps Fox 5 and NBC 7.
Q: I’m getting email and calls from friends and family in other parts of the country who want to know how close we are to the L.A. fires. What should I tell them?
A: The distance between San Diego and the Palisades Park area of Los Angeles is about 130 miles. I think people who don’t live here don’t realize how massive Southern California is. San Diego County alone is spacious. It has roughly the same land area of Connecticut.
I should note, though, that despite the distances involved, the winds blowing up there are part of the same windstorms that blow through San Diego.
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