'Devil winds' of up to 90mph are sweeping into Southern California, threatening blackouts and deadly wildfires for millions

Santa Ana 'devil winds' gusting up to 90mph are targeting more than 20 million people across Southern California, with forecasters warning the dangerous conditions will persist through the weekend. Power companies have already begun proactive shutoffs, and the National Weather Service is urging residents across Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties to brace for widespread blackouts through midnight Saturday.

Karen Bass, the Los Angeles Mayor who drew sharp criticism for her handling of the deadly 2025 blazes, has ordered fire crews pre-deployed ahead of the storm.

Temperatures are expected to soar into the 90s as the dry, hot air drops from the mountains toward the Pacific Coast, dramatically raising wildfire ignition risk.

The NWS warns the winds are strong enough to topple trees and bring down power lines, trigger widespread outages and even overturn trucks on roadways.