Crime & Safety

High Fire Risk Expected Later Wednesday Through Thursday Afternoon

San Diego county mountains and inland valleys can expect lower humidity and gusty winds.

UPDATE: Wednesday 11:21 a.m. - The National Weather Service in San Diego has canceled the Red Flag Warning for high fire risk Wednesday and Thursday in all parts of San Diego county.

This was based on updated weather information.

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Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

CalFire has brought in extra fire fighting resources for an expected 24-hour period of increased fire risk beginning late Wednesday afternoon.

The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a Red Flag Warning for all inland valleys and mountains. A rapid drop in humidity is expected, along with warmer temperatures and northeast winds gusting up to 45 to 55 mph in some places, according to the weather service.

Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly," according to the weather service. "A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will create explosive fire growth potential," the service states on its website.

"CAL Fire operations has supported our region with two additional air tankers giving us three air tankers at Ramona and Hemet-Ryan (Airport)," Saul Villagomez, a Ramona battalion chief said. "This event is stated to be followed by unseasonable warm weather through the weekend with little wind."

The red flag conditions are expected to last from 5 p.m. Wednesday to 2 p.m. Thursday.

Humidity is expected to drop to 5 or 10 percent by Thursday morning. These conditions are expected to move westward by then to all areas except the immediate coast. Sustained northeast winds of 25 to 35 mph are anticipated Thursday morning, with 45 to 55 mph in the more wind-prone areas.

The warning also covers all of Orange county, the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley.


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