Solano County braces for high wind gusts into Friday morning, high fire danger
SOLANO COUNTY -- Much of the Greater Sacramento region is under a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service through Saturday night due to high winds.
Solano County is set to see some of the strongest wind gusts, possibly up to 60 miles per hour, late Thursday night and into Friday morning.
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) already cut power to up to 2,000 customers in Solano and Yolo counties Thursday night as a precaution to protect from wildfire.
"Things are extra dry out there right now. They are very receptive to any spark, any ignition," said Jason Clay, spokesperson for Cal Fire LNU. "If a fire were to start that fire could expand very rapidly. We have the combination of low humidity, very high winds predicted."
A perfect example of the rapid response crews are ready for came Thursday night when Fairfield fire crews quickly knocked down a 4-acre grass fire at Industrial Drive and Dobe Lane, not far from Travis Air Force Base.
It serves as an important reminder that cooler weather does not mean lower fire danger -- and that neighbors should not let their guards down.
"History tells us a number of October red flag events have caused major wildfires that have been very destructive," Clay said.
Fairfield resident Susan Labrecque showed CBS13 her home of more than 20 years that neighbors a dry hillside.
"The overgrowth gets pretty high, up to the fence here," said Labrecque. "This summer, we've had two close calls."
A charred hilltop is a reminder of one vegetation fire that was too close for comfort.
"What happens is we have to complain to the city. Saying hey come out here, the overgrowth is obviously a fire hazard," said Labrecque. "I think we've evacuated now three or four times."
Cal Fire says crews from across the region are more than ready to respond.
"We've had some prepositioned resources that have come into the unit to help be prepared in case a fire were to spark," said Clay. "Extra staffing, extra hand crews ready to go. Our full complement of our aviation assets to us, bulldozers. And it's not just us, local government agencies are preparing as well."
As for Fairfield neighbors like Labrecque, they're on the watch and ready to evacuate if needed.
"We're pretty prepared to just grab and go," said Labrecque. "We'll be the first ones out."
PG&E expects about 24 Northern California counties to see public safety power shutoffs required on Friday. Check the utility's outage map for the most up-to-date information.