60,000 people evacuated for Silverado Fire in California as PG&E cuts power to 361,000 customers

A new wildfire forced the evacuations of 60,000 people in Southern California Monday as critically dry, gale force winds battered the Golden State and caused PG&E to cut power to 361,000 customers.

The new Silverado Fire in Orange County was reported shortly before 7 a.m. and quickly exploded to 2,000 acres as it threatened homes in nearby Irvine.

Up and down the already scorched state, officials warned of extremely high fire danger as the Diablo winds in the north and Santa Anas down south unleashed downslope, offshore winds packing a combination of low humidity and speeds topping 40 mph.

PG&E said its “public safety power shutoffs” targeted portions of 36 counties, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and Butte, where a faulty transmission line ignited the 2018 Camp Fire and led to 85 deaths.

A firefighter prepares to put out hotspots while battling the Silverado Fire, Monday, Oct. 26, in Irvine, Calif. The fast-moving wildfire forced evacuation orders for 60,000 people in Southern California on Monday as powerful winds across the state prompted power to be cut to hundreds of thousands to prevent utility equipment from sparking new blazes. (Jae C. Hong/)

“These are the strongest winds we’ve seen so far this fire season,” Gerry Diaz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey, told the Daily News.

He said winds around Mount Saint Helena in the Napa Valley clocked in at 89 mph overnight into Monday. Meanwhile, winds gusted up to 72 mph on Mount Diablo and even 58 mph at the Oakland Airport, he said.

In this image from video provided by KNBC-TV, smoke and flames from the Silverado fire threatens areas near Irvine, Calif., Monday, Oct. 26.

“The other huge concern is we have very dry conditions, not just in the high elevations but all the way down by the coast. Our Half Moon Bay station usually has humidity in the 80% to 90% range due to the strong marine influence, but this morning it was down to 10% humidity,” he said.

“It’s really the first time we’ve seen these conditions make it all the way down to the coast this fire season. It’s a big concern. Even with winds becoming lighter this afternoon, it’s a very dry air mass sticking around the next couple days,” he said.

In Irvine, city officials said the Silverado Fire started as a 10-acre fire at 6:47 a.m. and quickly grew due to the high winds.

“The fire started in Silverado Canyon, and helicopters and fixed wing aircraft are on the way. The wind is making it move very quickly,” Mayor Christina Shea said in a statement.

Mandatory evacuations orders were issued for Orchard Hills on Irvine Blvd. from Bake to Jamboree, city officials said.