East Bay Under Red Flag Warning, Heat Advisory

EAST SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CA — What was a fire weather watch was upgraded Friday to a red flag warning for the mountains of North Bay, the hills of East Bay and the Diablo range. The red flag warning — when high temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds combine to create critical fire weather conditions — is set to go into effect at 11 a.m. Saturday and last through 8 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area.

Residents are urged to refrain from any outdoor fires or burns, as any wildfires that develop will spread quickly.

The red flag warning is accompanied by a heat advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday for much of the Bay Area. Widespread temperatures in the mid 90s to low 100s in the impacted areas are expected, according to NWS. The hottest inland locations such as Pinnacles National Park and the extreme inland portions of Napa, Sonoma, and possibly Contra Costa counties may surpass 105 degrees.

NWS officials warned of moderate to high risk of heat-related illness, especially for vulnerable populations during the day Saturday.

Bay Area cities included in the heat advisory are: Santa Rosa, South Santa Rosa, Napa, San Rafael, Petaluma, Novato, Rohnert Park, Angwin, Lagunitas-Forest Knolls, Woodacre, Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Daly City, Berkeley, Concord, Antioch, Livermore, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, Pittsburg, San Ramon, Blackhawk, Scotts Valley, Boulder Creek, Day Valley, San Jose, Greenfield and King City.

The City of Berkeley had some specific instructions for its residents:

• Review your household’s evacuation routes. Make sure to plan at least two routes away from your neighborhood. During an evacuation you may not be able to drive, so consider using the network of Berkeley Path Wanderers paths in your evacuation plans. To learn more, visit Berkeley’s Wildfire Evacuation website.
• Park off-street. Use your driveway or garage, leaving streets clear for emergency vehicles.

PG&E

PG&E has activated its emergency operations center due to the red flag warning and elevated fire dangers, according to PG&E Spokeswoman Deanna Contreras.

PG&E meteorologists are predicting Saturday to be the hottest day of the year, which means PG&E wants its customers to prepare for outages.

"We don't anticipate needing to do a Public Safety Power Shutoff. But we do want customers to update their contact info at www.pge.com/mywildfirealerts," Contreras said in an email Friday morning.

Contra Costa County Cooling Centers

Ahead of Saturday's heat advisory, Contra Costa County encouraged residents — especially the elderly and those with disabilities — to seek relief from the heat at the following cooling centers or at any shopping mall, library, coffee shop, movie theater or restaurant. A phone call to check hours of operation is recommended.

• Ambrose Community Center, 3105 Willow Pass Road, Bay Point, 925-458-1601
• Antioch Senior Center, 415 West 2nd Street, Antioch, 925-778-1158
• Brentwood Community Center, 35 Oak Street (In City Park), Brentwood, 925-516-5400
• Brentwood Senior Center, 193 Griffith Lane, Brentwood, 925-516-5444
• Concord Senior Center, 2727 Parkside Circle, Concord, 925-671-3320
• Danville Community Center, 420 Front Street, Danville, 925-314-3400
• Danville Senior Center, 115 E. Prospect Avenue, Danville, 925-314-3490
• Hercules Senior Center, 111 Civic Drive, Hercules, 510-799-8219
• Martinez Senior Center, 818 Green Street, Martinez, 925-370-8770
• Oakley Senior Center, 215 Second Street, Oakley, 925-626-7223
• Pinole Senior Center, 2500 Charles Ave., Pinole, 510-724-9800
• Pittsburg Senior Center, 300 Presidio Lane, Pittsburg, 925-252-4890
• Pleasant Hill Senior Center, 233 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, 925-798-8788
• Richmond Senior Center, 2525 MacDonald, Richmond, 510-307-8087
• Alcosta Senior and Community Center, 9300 Alcosta Blvd., San Ramon, 925-973-3250
• Walnut Creek Senior Club, 1375 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek, 925-943-5851

The county also shared tips to survive summer heat, urging anyone suffering from certain heat-illness related symptoms — headache, nausea/vomiting, dim/blurred vision, profuse sweating, exhaustion, dizziness, hot dry skin, cold damp skin, muscle cramps, fainting — not to wait to call their doctor or 911.

Heat strokes can be life-threatening and can come on quickly, county health officials said.

Tips to prevent heat-related symptoms, particularly during power outages, include:

• Drink water: Sip all day; don’t wait until you are thirsty. Avoid alcohol, caffeinated beverages, sugary soft drinks and full-strength fruit juices.
• Limit physical activity and wear a hat outside, preferably with a wide brim.
• Keep shades drawn and blinds closed, but windows should be slightly open.
• Open windows to cooling breezes in the evening
• Keep electric items turned off, lights low and avoid using your oven or clothes dryer.
• Do not just rely on fans; if the temperature is 90 degrees or above, fans alone usually cannot protect against heat-related illness.
• Take baths, showers, or find a pool to swim in; bathe in tepid water, use cool towels.
• Wear loose-fitting cotton clothing that is light-colored and lightweight.
• Use a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher when outside
• Eat light foods high in water content: fruits, salads, and soups.
• Don’t wait in or leave infants, pets, elderly or disabled persons unattended in cars or other vehicles forany length of time, even with windows cracked. Within minutes the temperature will become dangerously high and serious injury and/or death will result.
• Bring pets indoors or ensure they have shady spots to protect them all day.
• Make sure pets have plenty of fresh water that will stay cool all day
• Develop a “buddy” system; keep in contact with your family & friends at least twice a day
• Talk to your doctor about medications; you may need to alter medications or dosages, but under no circumstances should you change your medication on your own.
• Use air conditioning and be prepared for power outages — if you don’t have an a/c unit at home or the power is out, go to any air-conditioned building.

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