Strong winds, dry conditions raise fire concerns in Sonoma County, Bay Area

Strong winds and hot, dry conditions were expected to continue Friday in Sonoma County and across much of Northern California, a setup that could increase fire danger, meteorologists said.

The National Weather Service warned that “near-critical fire weather conditions” were forecast through Friday afternoon for the Bay Area.

The most extreme fire weather in the Bay Area was expected in areas closest to the Sacramento Valley, including the Napa hills, eastern Contra Costa County and the East Bay hills, weather service forecasters said.

Dry north winds that kicked up Thursday prompted the weather service to issue a wind advisory for the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills that expires at 2 p.m. Friday.

Wind speeds between 20 and 30 mph were expected, with gusts up to 50 mph.

A spokesperson for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said the utility was not planning any preemptive power shut-offs in connection with the winds.

The combination of heat and wind was expected to further dry out vegetation across Northern California.

The weather service issued a red flag warning, which is the most urgent fire weather caution, through Friday afternoon for a vast swath of Northern California. A red flag warning is issued when conditions are ideal for wildland fire combustion and rapid spread.

The warning primarily covered the northern Central Valley and, in the North Bay, incorporated a sliver of eastern Napa County and most of Solano County.

It did not include Sonoma, Lake or Mendocino counties.

“The reason we’re not going to have a red flag (in those areas) is because of the fuel conditions,” said Scott Carroll, a weather service meteorologist based in Eureka. “They’re not quite at the level where they’d be conductive to rapid fire spread. Over the Sacramento Valley there is quite a bit drier conditions than over on our side.”

Cal Fire officials announced Thursday that the hot, dry conditions prompted them to suspend permits for outdoor residential burning in Napa, Lake, Solano, Yolo and Colusa counties beginning Monday. The suspension was only in effect for state responsibility areas, or areas outside of city limits, within those counties, officials said.

Above-normal temperatures were forecast through the weekend in Sonoma County.

Santa Rosa’s normal high for this week is 75 degrees. The predicted highs for the city are 82 on Friday, 85 on Saturday and Sunday and 90 on Monday, according to the weather service.

The Santa Rosa Fire Department on Thursday announced that wildfire season in the city will begin June 6, a date based on vegetation moisture levels, according to Division Chief Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal.

The start of fire season marks the kickoff of the Santa Rosa Fire Department’s weed abatement program, which oversees annual property inspections.

The city’s weed abatement ordinance requires property owners to cut weeds and grasses over 4 inches tall on vacant lots, on properties with a half-acre of undeveloped land and on all parcels in the wildland-urban interface, generally defined as areas with homes built among fire-prone vegetation.

Lowenthal said vegetation management work around the city made a notable difference in preventing homes from burning in wildfires last season.

“We watched fires burn into fire breaks and weed abatement work,” he said, noting that no structures were damaged by wildfires during the season. “It was refreshing to see.”

A Wildfire Ready Resource Fair will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa.

Experts and organizers will be on hand to offer advice on family and property preparedness, emergency alerts and notifications, evacuation zones and mental health and disaster resources.

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Pera at matthew.pera@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Matt__Pera.