Wildfire Threat Returns to California Ahead of Thanksgiving

(Bloomberg) -- Southern California will see a return of dangerous wildfire conditions this weekend as weather forecasters say strong winds will sweep across the region and raise the threat of fast-spreading blazes. 

Santa Ana winds will arrive Saturday evening and peak on Sunday, with gusts of up to 60 miles (97 kilometers) per hour possible in canyons and mountain passes in the Los Angeles area, the National Weather Service said Friday. 

The potential for critical fire conditions this weekend prompted Edison International’s Southern California Edison to warn that it may need to cut power to about 22,000 customers in the region to prevent its power lines from sparking blazes. 

The warning comes just days before the Thanksgiving holiday, toward the tail end of what has been a brutal fire season for California. More than 3 million acres have burned so far this year. While recent rains have doused the threat of wildfires in Northern California, the southern part of the state remains dry and vulnerable to burn. 

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