Red Flag warning issued for Santa Barbara County

Star Report

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Santa Barbara County Mountains and the Santa Barbara south coast (zones CAZ252, CAZ239) in effect from 3 p.m. Thursday September 22 to 6 a.m. Friday, September 23.

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can create extreme fire behavior.

…RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM PDT FRIDAY FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SOUTH COAST – SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS.

* WINDS...NORTH 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH.

• *  RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AS LOW AS 10 PERCENT THIS EVENING THEN 20 TO 30 PERCENT LATE TONIGHT.
• *  IMPACTS…IF FIRE IGNITION OCCURS THERE COULD BE RAPID SPREAD OF WILDFIRE THAT WOULD LEAD TO A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.

  PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

  A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.