Posted 2 hours, 6 minutes ago – National Weather Service
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Red Flag Warning in effect through 6 pm Friday for much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to gusty Santa Ana winds and very low Humidities.
High pressure over the Great Basin will continue to generate gusty Santa Ana winds over Los Angeles and Ventura counties. These winds now look to strengthen some tonight, before weakening Friday afternoon into Saturday. The strongest winds will occur in the afternoon through evening hours. Peak gusts to around 50 mph are expected in the mountains, with gusts peaking to around 40 mph range in the valleys. Meanwhile, an unseasonably strong upper level ridge has combined with the offshore flow to bring very warm and very dry conditions. Overnight humidity recoveries will be extremely poor, with most areas away from the coast not going above 20 percent. With such conditions, and historically dry fuels, red flag warnings will continue through Friday afternoon.
Red Flag Warning remains in effect until 6 pm PST Friday for gusty northeast winds and very low humidity for the Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley, and Ventura County valleys.
  • Timing: critical conditions through Friday afternoon.
  • Winds: northeast 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph. Isolated gusts to 50 mph in the hills. Winds will peak this afternoon and tonight.
  • Relative humidity: minimums of 3 to 8 percent. Overnight recoveries will be very poor and mostly below 20 percent.
  • Temperatures: Highs generally in the 80s.
  • Impacts: If Fire ignition occurs there could be rapid spread of wildfire that would lead to a threat to life and property.

Recommended actions

A Red Flag Warning means that critical Fire weather conditions are expected. This in combination with very dry fuels could create Extreme Fire Danger and/or fire behavior.
Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of this Red Flag Warning.
Excerpted from ready.govBefore:
  • To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.
  • Plant fire-resistant shrubs and trees. For example, hardwood trees are less flammable than pine, evergreen, eucalyptus or fir trees. Regularly clean roof and gutters.
  • Use 1/8-inch mesh screen beneath porches, decks, floor areas, and the home itself. Also, screen openings to floors, roof and attic.
  • Keep handy household items that can be used as fire tools: a rake, axe, handsaw or chain saw, bucket and shovel.
  • Consider installing protective shutters or heavy fire-resistant drapes.
  • Clear items that will burn from around the house, including wood piles, lawn furniture, barbecue grills, tarp coverings, etc. Move them outside of your defensible space.
  • Identify and maintain an adequate outside water source such as a small pond, cistern, well, swimming pool, or hydrant.
  • Have a garden hose that is long enough to reach any area of the home and other structures on the property.
  • More about what to do before a wildfire.
During:
  • Wear protective clothing when outside - sturdy shoes, cotton or woolen clothes, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, gloves and a handkerchief to protect your face.
  • Close outside attic, eaves and basement vents, windows, doors, pet doors, etc. Remove flammable drapes and curtains. Close all shutters, blinds or heavy non-combustible window coverings to reduce radiant heat.
  • Close all doors inside the house to prevent draft. Open the damper on your fireplace, but close the fireplace screen.
  • Shut off any natural gas, propane or fuel oil supplies at the source.
  • Connect garden hoses to outdoor water faucet and fill any pools, hot tubs, garbage cans, tubs or other large containers with water.
  • Place lawn sprinklers on the roof and near above-ground fuel tanks. Leave sprinklers on and dowsing these strutures as long as possible.
  • If you have gas-powered pumps for water, make sure they are fueled and ready. Place a ladder against the house in clear view.
  • More about what to do during a wildfire.

What is a Red Flag Warning?


A Warning issued by National Weather Service fire weather forecasters to alert forecast users to an ongoing or imminent critical fire weather pattern. The warning product alerts land management agencies to the potential for widespread new ignitions or control problems with existing fires, both of which could pose a threat to life and property.
It is issued when it is an on-going event or the fire weather forecaster has a high degree of confidence that Red Flag criteria will occur within 48 hours of issuance. Red Flag criteria is based on local area vegetation characteristics, local climatology, select weather criteria and/or any combination of critical weather and fuel moisture forecasts. In some states, dry lightning and unstable air are criteria. A Fire Weather Watch may be issued prior to the Red Flag Warning.