Hot weather and winds raise California wildfire threat as power shutoffs start

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Large swaths of California are expected to see fire weather starting Thursday and thousands of people could lose power as utilities try not to spark wildfires during hot and windy conditions expected to last through Saturday.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who has faced criticism for her city's response to deadly fires in 2025, said she's directed the fire department to deploy personnel and equipment ahead of the winds. The fire department has also requested assistance from the state’s office of emergency services, she said.“It’s a pretty widespread event of elevated fire weather, so the whole SoCal region should really be on alert,” said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.Dry, warm and gusty northeast winds known as Santa Anas, which blow from the interior of Southern California toward the coast and offshore, are expected, with the strongest winds forecast for Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon.The winds are expected to reach 2