Red Flag Warning Issued For Marin County

MARIN COUNTY, CA – Fire season continues in Marin County as critical fire weather conditions are expected to return this week, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a red flag warning for the North Bay mountains and other parts of the San Francisco Bay Area.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning from 11 p.m. Wednesday through 5 p.m. Thursday because of warm, dry and windy conditions expected in the region.

The most hazardous conditions are expected to be in the North Bay mountains – including higher terrain areas of Marin, Napa, Sonoma counties – as well as the East Bay hills, Diablo Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains, according to the weather service. A weather pattern is expected to bring low humidity and northerly winds up to 35 mph, weather officials said.

"A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly," weather officials said. "A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior."

The following land use restrictions are in effect for the Marin Municipal Water District, Mount Tamalpais State Park, Marin Open Space and Point Reyes National Seashore during the red flag conditions:

• Closures at Sky Oaks, Natalie Coffin Green Park (Ross), and Leo Cronin Parking Lot
• Closure to Mount Vision Road (National Park Service)
• All open burning and burn permits are suspended on public lands
• All watershed land use permits are canceled
• Closures to Mount Tamalpais State Park – Roads north of Panoramic Highway are closed to motor vehicle traffic on Pantoll Road and Ridgecrest Boulevard. All park use permits north of Panoramic Highway are suspended, including filming

Photo by Autumn Johnson/Patch