San Diego Fire Weather Prompts Red Flag Warning Sunday

Recent massive brush fire.

It was prompted by hot Santa Ana winds and low humidity throughout San Diego, according to weather service officials.

Southern California’s famed and scary Santa Ana winds from a massive high pressure system, low humidity and drought-driven dry vegetation will all combine to create a tense couple of days for firefighters anxious about the outbreak of any kind of large brush blaze.

The Red Flag Warning is an indication of the critical fire weather conditions that San Diego is now experiencing.

Humidity is expected to remain low at 8 to 12 percent with little likelihood of increase overnight.

That, combined with powerful wind gusts expected to reach 45 miles per hour in the valleys and 55 miles per hour in the mountains, and chronically dry vegetation from the ongoing drought, could make for explosive fire conditions, officials say.

Fire danger warnings are in effect through Sunday in parts Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange and San Diego counties, and the “Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index” is showing a “high” category for many areas, according to Cal Fire.

In these conditions, “if fire ignition occurs, there could be rapid spread of wildfire”, leading to a loss of life and property, the statement said.

Forecasts for today range from highs in the mid to upper 80s in the coastal cities to temperatures up to 100 degrees inland.

Temperatures are expected to start cooling on Tuesday.