Winds, Bone-Dry Humidity Put Fire Authority on Alert
In spite of recent rains, Orange County is under a “red flag” watch for brush fires today because of high winds and low humidity, officials said.
With humidity at a bone-dry 15% and sustained wind gusts at 30 mph Sunday, the National Weather Service declared the emergency for Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Scott Brown said.
A weather station at Fremont Canyon, northeast of Irvine Lake, recorded wind in excess of 50 mph, he said. The high winds are likely to last until Tuesday morning, according to forecasts.
“It just serves as a reminder we’re still in a declared fire season, and that will be in effect until we get some significant rainfall” lasting a week or more, Brown said. “The stuff we got last week did nothing but dust off the vegetation.”
The red-flag conditions have the Fire Authority adding extra dispatchers and positioning equipment in fire-prone areas.
“We’re ready to respond aggressively en masse if the need arises,” Brown said.
He also asked that anyone who sees suspicious activity in a fire zone immediately report it to police or the Fire Authority.
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