Another blast of Santa Ana winds Thursday prompted San Diego Gas & Electric to cut off electricity to thousands of residents in another of a wave of power outages that have continued off and on for two weeks.

A critical fire threat will continue across County as Santa Ana winds and dry conditions persist through early Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

The last time it was this dry in January, there were barely more than 500 people in San Diego. The year was 1850, and only a quarter-inch of rain had fallen in six months. It made the region ripe for wildfire — but that wasn’t much of a concern. The city’s population was clustered along the coast, far from the backcountry, where most fires burned.

Jan. 22 A new wildfire was reported today at 7:06 p.m. in San Diego County. The wildfire has been burning on private land. Currently, there is no information on the containment of the fire and the cause of it has yet to be determined.

Multiple wildfires have erupted in San Diego County, prompting evacuation orders, school closures, and power outages as strong winds and dry conditions fueled the blazes. The largest, the Lilac Fire,