Ojai winds blow fierce
By Lenny Roberts

Ojaians lucky enough to sleep through the thunderous winds Monday night woke up to debris-laden yards, driveways and streets as powerful Santa Ana winds ripped through the valley overnight.
While the long, hot and dry fire season, following a year of record drought, failed to bring anticipated wildfires to our area, the possibility of raging fires resurfaced Monday when the Ventura County Fire Protection District issued a Red Flag Warning. This came despite November and December rain totals that earlier doubled the percentages of normal.
Fierce Santa Ana winds, due to the positioning of high- and low-pressure systems to the east, arrived right on schedule Sunday as predicted by Southern California weather forecasters. The wind gusts, estimated by fire officials to be in excess of 90 mph in many parts of the county, continued through early Tuesday, bringing with it overnight temperatures higher than the normal January daytime highs and fallen or damaged trees on both public and private property.
Meanwhile, the County Fire Department sent 34 engines to neighboring Los Angeles County to protect structures threatened by the brushfire near Malibu that began Monday at noon in the area of Trancas Canyon, and had reached Encinal Canyon six hours later, forcing the evacuation of residents in both Encinal and Decker canyons.
The winds locally are expected to subside today, followed by more seasonable temperatures and weather patterns.
© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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