Red Flag Warning issued for interior North Bay mountains; PG&E says NorCal power cuts possible
SACRAMENTO -- Critical fire weather conditions were expected to develop in parts of Northern California including the North Bay, forecasters said Tuesday, with PG&E announcing possible power cuts to parts of eight counties to prevent ignitions if wires are downed or damaged.
The Bay Area office of the National Weather Service issued the Red Flag Warning for the interior North Bay mountains starting at 11 p.m. Tuesday night and remaining in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday evening. Officials said conditions will be ripe for rapid fire spread particularly along the higher terrain in eastern Napa county. Residents are advised not to burn materials outdoors during the period.
The weather service said the conditions for rapid fire spread will be most prominent in the higher elevations of eastern Napa County.
The forecast is for gusty north winds of 35 to 40 mph in higher terrains in Napa County, and inland parts of the Bay Area could see temperatures in the mid to high 90s Wednesday.
The office noted it is its first Red Flag Warning issued in the greater Bay Area since October 2021.
Red flag warnings for fire danger will also take effect at 11 p.m. Tuesday for much of the Sacramento Valley and in portions of adjacent Lake County due to gusty northerly winds and low humidity, the National Weather Service. It will remain in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Forecasters say cooler weather is expected in the region by the end of the week and through the weekend, with a chance of small amounts of precipitation across the North Bay on Saturday morning and afternoon.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has additionally issued a Spare the Air alert for Wednesday because of a forecast of unhealthy smog levels in the region.
Pacific Gas & Electric said potential public safety power shutoffs starting at 3 a.m. Wednesday could affect up to 8,500 customers, mostly on the west side of the Sacramento Valley.
The shutoffs are intended to prevent fires from starting when power lines are downed by winds or struck by falling trees or windblown debris. Such fires have caused extensive destruction and deaths in California, but shutoffs have also drawn fierce criticism.
The issue has surfaced in Hawaii after the deadly fire that destroyed the Maui community of Lahaina. Maui County claims Hawaiian Electric Company negligently failed to cut power despite high winds and dry conditions. The utility acknowledges its lines started the fire but faults county firefighters for declaring the blaze contained and leaving the scene.
California has so far avoided widespread wildfires this year following an extraordinarily wet winter and cool spring that melted the mountain snowpack slowly. Downpours from recent Tropical Storm Hilary further dampened much of the southern half of the state.
Major fires have been limited to the southeastern desert and the lightly populated far northwest near the Oregon border where lightning ignited many fires this month. The largest group, the Smith River Complex, has scorched more than 115 square miles (298 square kilometers).
