Red flag warning issued for parts of Sacramento Valley and Northern California mountains
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning that goes into effect late Sunday for a large segment of Northern California, including portions of the Sacramento Valley as gusty wind moves into the region.
The red flag warning also includes north Bay Area mountains and east Bay Area hills and valleys amid the critical fire weather conditions, especially for areas that received little to no rainfall over the weekend.
Gusty north to northeast winds will develop late Sunday across portions of the Sacramento Valley and surrounding terrain, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters predicted wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph, which are expected to be stronger near favorably oriented canyons and ridgetops. The red flag warning was prompted by the combination of dry vegetation, strong wind and a minimum humidity of 10 percent to 25 percent, according to the Weather Service.
Any wildfires that could develop over the next two days likely will spread rapidly, the Weather Service said, so outdoor burning was not recommended. Residents also were urged to properly dispose of cigarettes and matches, keep vehicles off dry grass and avoid using outdoor equipment that creates sparks.
The red flag warning will remain in effect through Monday evening for portions of the Sacramento Valley, Coastal Range and nearby foothills. In the Sierra Nevada, southern Cascades and its adjacent foothills, the warning will remain in effect through 11 a.m. Tuesday.
On Saturday, a fire weather watch was issued for the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada, including the central areas of Placer and El Dorado counties. That weather watch was upgraded to the red flag warning on Sunday.
The strongest wind was expected Monday morning and slowly decreasing into the evening in the Sacramento Valley, Coastal Range and the mountains north of Interstate 80, according to the Weather Service. Gusty east to northeast wind will continue Monday night into Tuesday morning across the western slopes of the northern Sierra Nevada, southern Cascades and adjacent foothills.
The red flag warning also includes portions of the Caldor Fire , which has burned 218,876 acres (or 341 square miles), according to a Sunday morning update from the U.S. Forest Service. Firefighters had about 71% of the Caldor Fire contained.
There were several calls for service overnight, but firefighters determined the smoldering areas were within the existing fire footprint, and there had not been any growth outside the Caldor Fire perimeter, the U.S. Forest Service said. The western half of the fire received light rain overnight.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. this weekend warned it might shut off power to about 14,000 customers starting Monday morning in portions of 13 counties, mostly in Northern California, because of dry wind amid critical fire weather conditions. The potential power shutoffs include 20 affected PG&E customers in Yolo County.
This story was originally published September 19, 2021 at 2:48 PM.
