Santa Ana winds continued to blow through the county’s backcountry Thursday, but weather forecasters expect the gusts to weaken by Friday. A second day of blustery conditions brought a fresh wave of power shutoffs by San Diego Gas & Electric, although the total number of affected customers was dropping sharply. As of 4:51 p.m. Thursday, just 14 customers in Potrero had no electricity after SDG&E implemented the practice of Public Safety Power Shutoffs, in which specific power lines are de-energized to reduce the risk of high winds downing power lines and potentially starting a wildfire. By contrast, as dawn broke Thursday, almost 1,300 customers in rural areas around East County, including Alpine, Boulevard and Campo, had no power. SDG&E attributed the reduction to improved weather conditions that allowed utility workers to patrol the area. “In certain regions, it is now safe for crews to inspect equipment for damage in communities that were de-energized for public safety,” the utility said in a statement. The shutoffs were put in place after the National Weather Service earlier this week issued red flag warnings, alerting people throughout San Diego County of gusty winds and dry conditions. The red flag warnings remain in effect through 11 a.m. Friday. The shutoff affected the Mountain Empire Unified School District, which closed its schools Thursday for a second straight day. The rural East County district cited high winds and the danger it posed for high-profile vehicles, such as school buses, when they canceled classes Wednesday. SDG&E reported gusts as high as 66 mph at 9:50 p.m. Wednesday at Sill Hill near Descanso. Windy conditions persisted into Thursday morning, with the utility’s weather center recording gusts of 41 mph at Hauser Mountain, 38 mph at Lucky 5 Ranch in Anza-Borrego and 34 mph at East Willows Road, off Interstate 8 in Alpine. The National Weather Service in San Diego predicts the high winds will start to abate by Friday morning, lessening to around 10 to 15 mph throughout most of the county. “Conditions are extremely dry and the relative humidities are down around 10%, which is very, very low,” said weather service meteorologist Philip Gonsalves. “The lower relative humidities are going to continue well into (Friday), even though the winds are weakening.” The recent round of Public Safety Power Shutoffs marks the first time since 2021 that SDG&E has employed the practice. Lines were de-energized in strategic locations five times in 2018 and 2020 and once in 2021. No shutoffs were instituted in 2022 and 2023, after two consecutive wet winters helped reduce the risk of wildfires in the region. Rural, backcountry communities in what is called the High Fire Threat District are particularly affected when their lines are de-energized because many homes there rely on water from wells powered by electricity for their homes, horses and livestock. A Community Resource Center has opened in Potrero so that customers affected by the outages can get water, pick up snacks, charge their electronic devices and receive the most recent information regarding the shutoff. The center in Protrero is at the Potrero Community Center at 24550 California Route 94 and is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Staff writer Christian Martinez contributed to this report.