Santa Barbara County Under Red Flag Warning
First Fire Condition Alert of the Year
A Red Flag Warning is in place for parts of Santa Barbara County from 5 p.m. Tuesday, September 26, through to 9 a.m., Wednesday, September 27. Fire weather conditions are expected for the inland and coastal mountains, and the South Coast as a whole, for the first time this year.
Hot, dry winds are expected overnight, said County Fire spokesperson Captain Scott Safechuck, which could further cure the drying brush and make it ripe for a wildfire. The grasses from this year’s heavy rainfall already have dried and can flame up quickly. In particular, winds are expected to gust up to 60mph in the Gaviota and Montecito areas.
The following 24 hours — 9 a.m. Wednesday through 5 a.m. Thursday — are under a Red Flag Watch. This means that while conditions aren’t quite at the National Weather Service criteria for a Warning, the forecast may change.
The Fire Department advises staying aware of the weather forecast, knowing how to exit your neighborhood by at least two routes, and reviewing the Ready Set Go program to learn how to prepare for an evacuation. If you spot smoke from a fire, call 9-1-1 and be ready to give them your present location and approximate location of the smoke.
In Santa Barbara’s fire history, large wildfires have escaped from mundane activities like parking a car in tall grass, a kite on electrical wires, and weed whacking. Take “extreme caution” during Red Flag conditions, the Fire Department states.
