Rising temperatures concern fire officials but no heat, fire advisories issued

With temperatures expected to soar back into the 80s and 90s this weekend, Cal Fire officials worry about “an elevated threat” for wildfires, although no red flag warnings or fire advisories have been issued for Sonoma County, said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Amy Head.

National Weather Service meteorologist Rick Canepa said the weather will be trending warmer and dryer across the Bay Area this weekend. Temperatures in Sonoma County are expected to reach the high 80s Friday through Sunday. On Thursday, temperatures in Santa Rosa reached 81 degrees, just short of the average 83 degrees.

Tuesday is expected to be the hottest day of next week, Canepa said, with temperatures reaching the mid- to upper 90s. He said, however, that warming trend could start as early as Monday afternoon, before cooling down Wednesday.

Despite the expected temperature rise this weekend, the National Weather Service had not issued a red flag or heat advisory as of Thursday.

Still, Head said she was concerned about fire risks this weekend. She described this time of year as “peak of fire season,” adding that this is typically when the state gets the “most dangerous, damaging and destructive wildfires.” So far in 2019, California has had a “very mild season,” Head said. Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 15, Cal Fire tallied 4,173 fires that have burned 38,610 acres.

By the same time last year, the state had experienced 4,518 fires that burned 626,631 acres.

Head attributed that decrease to last spring’s late, heavy rains, which increased moisture levels in grass and timber. Recent rain in the Bay Area has also helped the situation, though Head warned residents against complacence, adding that precipitation has been “fairly minimal and could dry out quickly.”

While this weekend’s elevated temperatures concern fire officials, the fire threat becomes highest when hot weather is combined with hot, dry high winds that originate inland and contain very little humidity.

“We’re sitting pretty good right now,” Head said.

“But if you look at the statistics, of the 20 most destructive fires in California history, a lot of those were fall fires.”

Canepa advised residents to remain in cool environments, such as shaded or air-conditioned areas, and stay hydrated to protect themselves from the heat over the weekend.