Increased Fire Danger Expected In San Diego County

SAN DIEGO — Strong winds and extremely low humidity will create critical fire weather conditions later this week in San Diego County, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a red flag warning for parts of the region.

Temperatures are expected to be cooler Wednesday, but winds will increase late Wednesday evening and humidity will drop to bring an increased risk of fire danger in the county's inland valleys and mountains. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning that will be in effect from noon Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday for the inland valleys and mountains.

East to northeast winds are expected to blow 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Isolated gusts could reach up to 60 miles per hour along and near costal mountain slopes.

Daytime humidity will drop to 5 to 10 percent Thursday and remain around 5 percent Friday. Low humidity will continue into Saturday, but winds will be much weaker by then, according to the National Weather Service.

The threat was deemed marginal Thursday and moderate Friday, according to the Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index, which means that upon ignition, fires may grow rapidly on Thursday and fires will be difficult to control on Friday.

High temperatures Wednesday could reach 75 degrees near the coast and inland, 80 degrees in the western valleys, 78 degrees in the mountains and 98 degrees in the deserts.

Fire season is year-round in the county, but Cal Fire and San Diego County Fire officials said there is an increased risk in the fall months when brush and grasses are dried out and there are strong Santa Ana winds.

County officials warned residents to take extra precautions during peak fire season and offered several tips to prevent a wildfire.

Dos:

• Remove debris, including dried leaves around the house, on the roof and in gutters, firewood stacks, or trash from around the home.
• Trim away any tree branches that overhang on your home and cut low branches on trees.
• Dried out bushes or plants should also be pruned or removed.
• All tree or shrub clippings need to be cleaned up and disposed of in a bin.

Don'ts:

• Do not attempt to use power tools to clear away brush during periods of high fire danger. It could spark on a rock and start a fire.
• Never pull your vehicle over in grass or brush because it can start a fire. Pull over on paved roads when necessary.
• Never discard smoking materials out a window or toss a lit cigarette butt into an area of vegetation.
• Use spark arrestors on portable gasoline powered equipment to avoid an accidental fire.

City News Service contributed to this report.