Fierce Winds Knock Over Trucks Near Fontana

Gusts up to 80 mph are possible in some part of LA Wednesday

At least five big rigs overturned Wednesday near the intersection of the 15 and 10 freeways in the Fontana area.

A SigAlert was issued near the interchange.

Another truck toppled onto its side on a Fontana street

Strong Santa Ana winds were expected to reach 70  miles per hour Wednesday across much of Los Angeles County.

Gusts up to  80 mph are possible, according to the National Weather Service.

"It should really peak between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. today,'' Dave Bruno of  the National Weather Service said in a telephone interview. ``It's definitely  a typical Santa Ana event. We're not as dry as a typical October. We've had a lot  of rain to green things up. But it has been dry lately and we do have high  wind warnings in effect."

Wind gusts were already topping 60 mph in parts of the San Gabriel  Mountains by 5:30 a.m., according to the Weather Service.

Between 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, gusts of 66 mph were  measured at Chilao, 44 mph at Leo Carrillo Beach, 61 mph in the Malibu Hills,  and 42 mph in Newhall Pass.

The driving force behind the Santa Anas -- as usual -- is a high- pressure system building over the Great Basin area northeast of Southern  California.

Vulnerable areas in L.A. County Wednesday include the Antelope, Santa  Clarita and San Fernando valleys, where wind gusts to 60 mph and stronger will  be capable of knocking down trees and power lines, according to the Weather  Service.

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