Southern California Seven day significant fire potential

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Southern California Seven day significant fire potential

GACC Predictive outlook - Southern California Seven day significant fire potential
Issued: 11-18-08 09:00hrs

UPDATED: 15:31 PST on 2008-11-18 -FIRE WEATHER WATCH - SUNDOWNERS

FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE AND THE SOUTH COAST OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING DUE TO GUSTY NORTH WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

Weather Discussion:
A strong ridge of high pressure over California will maintain well above normal temperatures and very low humidity over most of the region today.
Temperatures will remain 15 to 25 degrees above normal and minimum humidity will remain between 5% and 15%.

The strong ridge of high pressure will weaken bringing a little cooler temperatures and a little higher humidity to the region Wednesday through Friday.
Cooler Temps, Higher humidities: Morning low clouds and fog will move over the coastal areas Wednesday through Friday. A Pacific trough will drop down the West Coast bringing much cooler temperatures and much higher humidity to the region Saturday through the middle of next week. Morning low clouds and fog will most likely push into the coastal valleys starting Sunday.
Possible Rain: At this time, it looks as though showers will be possible across the entire region starting the middle of next week.
Fire Potential Discussion:
The potential for large fire will decrease across the entire region through early next week as temperatures slowly cool and humidity slowly rises. There no longer appears to be a threat of strong offshore winds developing over Southern California late this week or this weekend so High Risk days are no longer anticipated. The threat for large fire will become low across the entire region by Sunday. It now appears that wetting rains will fall across the entire region by the middle of next week causing fuels to become moist. Expect light initial attack across the region through early next week.

CWCG Preparedness Level: Level 3, MACS Mode 2

Source: GACC Predictive outlook .pdf
NWS CA Fire Weather site

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Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008