Man killed by fallen branch as strong winds leave damage across Bay Area

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Strong winds caused widespread damage and power shutoffs across the Bay Area Sunday into Monday, leaving hundreds without electricity and prompting safety warnings from officials with at least one death reported.

PG&E issued a Public Safety Power Shutoff due to increased fire danger as gusts swept through the region. On outage maps, affected areas were highlighted in pink as utility crews monitored conditions.

Emergency officials warned the strong winds have been hazardous. The Santa Rosa Fire Department said a man died after a branch snapped off a tree and fell on him. Another person was injured by a falling tree.

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In Napa County, the wind knocked down a large tree, with witnesses describing the moment it fell.

"I just see it falling over here. And it went like, boom. And I was just like, what is going on? And we know the wind was strong, but, you know, it was that strong," Thomas Williams said.

The fallen tree crashed through a fence and onto tables. No one was sitting in the area at the time.

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Officials also said several fires broke out over the weekend amid the windy conditions. Crews worked to contain a 3-acre fire in Napa County and an 80-acre fire along the Altamont Pass.

Cal Fire urged residents to take precautions to avoid sparking new fires and to create a fire safety plan with their families as dry, windy conditions persist.