Roaring winds cut power, raise fire concerns across Bay Area

Gusty winds blew across the Bay Area on Saturday, knocking out power for tens of thousands of people and prompting the National Weather Service to issue red-flag fire warnings for areas above 1,000 feet of elevation with gusts of more than 50 mph.

Winds reached up to 35 mph Saturday, causing 30,000 people to lose power throughout the day. By evening, the gusts had subsided across the region and power was restored for the majority of customers, said PG&E spokeswoman Karly Hernandez.

A wind farm on Monday Dec. 9, 2013, that sits on newly acquired property by the East Bay Regional Park District as seen from the Vasco Caves Regional Park, in the Altamont Pass near Livermore, Ca. A wind farm on Monday Dec. 9, 2013, that sits on newly acquired property by the East Bay Regional Park District as seen from the Vasco Caves Regional Park, in the Altamont Pass near Livermore, Ca. Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 58 Caption Close Roaring winds cut power, raise fire concerns across Bay Area 1 / 58 Back to Gallery

The high winds, coupled with dry conditions, raised concerns about possible wildfires in the region. All areas where red-flag warnings were issued will be under close watch throughout the weekend, Hernandez said.

In the Oakland hills, Oakland Fire Department Deputy Chief Melinda Drayton said intense winds had knocked down many trees by Saturday afternoon. “As we get low humidity, high winds and high temps, we’re on high alert,” she said. “Everyone is being extra vigilant.”

The dangerous fire conditions also led PG&E to consider taking the unusual step of cutting power in high-risk areas. But as of Saturday evening, Hernandez said the company had not cut any power.

“According to our operations specialist, the wind reached its peak earlier today across the region,” she said. “We’re not expecting the number of outages that we had earlier today, but we’re still prepared in the event that the wind picks up.”

In Palo Alto, about 260 customers lost power Saturday because of a fallen tree, according to a tweet by Palo Alto Utilities.

Wind warnings were issued in Northern California for the North Bay and East Bay hills, the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Diablo and Santa Lucia ranges and interior mountains of Monterey and San Benito counties.

The wind advisory went into effect Friday night and lasts until 10 a.m. Sunday.

Sophie Haigney and Trisha Thadani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com, tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney, @TrishaThadani