County Fire Department Issues Red Flag Warning

The National Weather Service predicts that southern Santa Barbara County will experience strong sundowner winds over the next two days, prompting the county’s fire department to issue a Red Flag warning as of 5 p.m. today.

The warm gusts—which could reach 50-60 miles per hour in canyon areas—coupled with low relative humidity along the South Coast are putting firefighters on alert. Area agencies will increase staffing and response levels for the duration of the warning.