FIRE WEATHER ALERT: Strong Winds Expected to Last Through Thursday in Lake Elsinore, Wildomar

Gusty Santa Ana winds, warmer weather and low humidity are expected to combine Wednesday to elevate the risk for wildfires in Riverside County’s mountains and valleys, though not the Coachella Valley.

At 3 a.m., a National Weather Service red flag warning took effect in valley areas. It will extend to the mountains at 11 p.m. In both areas, the warning is scheduled to expire at 5 p.m. Thursday. Wind advisories will go into effect at the same time but expire at 2 p.m. Thursday.

According to the National Weather Service, here’s what Lake Elsinore can expect to see for the next two days:

• This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 80. North wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 83. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
• Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.

In the mountains and valleys of Riverside County, higher temperatures, single-digit humidities and strong winds are expected to lead to critical fire weather conditions, forecasters said. Dry weather will continue Friday, although the winds will weaken before then.

“This Santa Ana wind event will dry out the fuels that are already two to four weeks ahead of last year’s pace, which was also a very dry year,” according to the weather service.

Areas of northeast winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour are expected overnight and into Thursday afternoon along with gusts that may reach 60 mph. Forecasters said any fires that broke out would likely spread quickly.

The sudden gusts could also cause hazardous driving conditions, especially for motorists in high profile vehicles, the NWS said. Drivers were urged to use extra caution.

Cal Fire Increases Staffing

Meanwhile, in response to the so-called fire weather, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says they’ve increased the staffing of fire engines, bulldozers, fire crews, and aircraft in Southern California.

“Even though it’s mid-April, the drought has caused conditions to be months drier than they normal would,” said Chief Dale Hutchinson, CAL FIREsouthern region chief. “We have extra firefighters and equipment available to respond to new wildfires during this wind event, but we are reminding residents to be extremely cautious while outdoors in order to help prevent sparking a wildfire.”

— City News Service contributed to this report.  Image via the National Weather Service.