REGION — Extremely dry and blustery conditions will create acute fire hazards this week across eastern San Diego County, authorities advised this week.
The expected midweek onset of strong winds out of the northeast accompanied by low atmospheric moisture levels prompted the National Weather Service to issue a “red flag” wildfire warning for local inland-valley and mountain locales, effective from 4 a.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday.
Over the period, winds of 20 to 30 mph will prevail in those areas, with gusts up to 55 mph in the eastern lowlands and foothills of the region and 65 to 70 mph on the coastal slopes of the San Diego-area mountains, the NWS reported.
The winds likely will weaken Wednesday afternoon but remain elevated into Thursday, with gusts up to 35 to 55 mph continuing in some locations, according to forecasters.
The spate of blustery conditions will be accompanied by daytime humidity levels as low as 10 to 20 percent, creating conditions where “any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly,” the Weather Service cautioned.
“Outdoor burning is not recommended (during the red-flag period),” the agency stated. “Winds (also) could damage outdoor property and will make for difficult driving conditions.”
