Red Flag Warning For Most Bay Area Hills Above 1,000 Feet
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A Red Flag Warning is in effect for most Bay Area hills above 1,000 feet Thursday, as low humidity and high winds lead to a high risk for wildfires.
The National Weather Service said the warning, which went into effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday night, covers the East Bay and North Bay hills, along with the Santa Cruz Mountains.
UPDATE: The Red Flag Warning has been updated to include the Santa Cruz Mtns, in addition to the North Bay Mtns & East Bay Hills. The Red Flag warning is in effect 10 PM tonight - 7 AM Fri due to low humidity and gusty offshore winds. #cawx #cafire pic.twitter.com/3S4cj0qVW2
— NWS Bay Area ???? (@NWSBayArea) November 8, 2018
Winds were high on most Bay Area peaks early Thursday, with officials reporting peak winds at 72 miles per hour on Mount Diablo, 66 miles per hour on Mount Saint Helena and 48 miles per hour on Pine Mountain.
Tracking strong wind gusts up in the higher elevations this morning. Here are the peak wind gusts so far this morning. Critical fire danger today with a Red Flag Warning for all Bay Area hills. @KPIXtv pic.twitter.com/tuSudHGmVc
— Mary Lee (@MaryKPIX) November 8, 2018
The deteriorating conditions have prompted PG&E officials to notify customers in nine California counties - including Napa and Sonoma - that the company may shut off power beginning Thursday for safety. PG&E on Tuesday started sending automated voice messages, texts and emails to customers telling them of the possible power shutoff.
In a statement, Pat Hogan, senior vice president of electric operations for PG&E, said, "We will only consider temporarily turning off power in the interest of safety and as a last resort during extreme weather conditions to reduce the risk of wildfire."
PG&E officials said if they turn off power, crews will restore power as soon it's safe to do so.
Despite being the month of November, a staggering 23.4 million out of the state's nearly 40 million residents were under a Red Flag Warning as of Thursday morning.
In the northern part of the state, crews are battling the so-called "Camp Fire" east of Chico, which broke out early Thursday and scorched at least 1,000 acres in just a few hours.
Calendar may say November, but the wildfire threat is real. Red Flag Warnings impacting over 23 million people. For Details around the state https://t.co/JgaJ81PbiJ #cawx #cafire pic.twitter.com/sRvDCk45kZ
— NWS Bay Area ???? (@NWSBayArea) November 8, 2018
The Red Flag Warning in the Bay Area remains in effect through 7 a.m. Friday.
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