Santa Ana wind conditions expected this week, raising fire risk in Southern California, National Weather Service warns
Share this:
LOS ANGELES – Summertime winds in Southern California this week will make fire risk as high as the Inland Empire, the National Weather Service warned in a bulletin issued Sunday.
In addition to Southern California, the warning covers Los Angeles County, Ventura County, the Ventura River Valley and the area from the San Gabriel River Valley to the Pajaro River Valley.
A high fire danger is forecast for coastal communities from Monday through Friday. During that time, the temperature will drop by 3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind will pick up to 40 mph, according to the bulletin issued by the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office.
During those same days, the potential for extreme fire conditions is expected to continue.
The warning from the National Weather Service follows on Sunday’s warning from the U.S. Forest Service, which issued its own heat warnings for the Southern California area Sunday, saying the hottest and most dangerous day of the week — with the mercury soaring to an expected 75 degrees.
The heat warning and the wind warning from the U.S. Forest Service overlap to share weather and fire warnings, and the National Weather Service also issued a heat advisory for the Inland Empire, including Monterey Shores and Solvang, on Sunday with temperatures in the forecast to approach 80 degrees.
That advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The heat advisory from the National Weather Service comes as firefighters across Southern California continue to deal with the ongoing California fire burn, which has burned through more than 1.7 million acres since Nov. 8. As of Sunday, about 3,100 structures have been threatened with destruction, in at least 10 counties.
According to Ventura County Fire Chief Jim Amormino, there are 4,000 active fire personnel in the region. More than 4,400 engines, and 19 fire tenders, are on standby.
“While we have a significant challenge on our hands, we will continue to deploy