Forecasters warn of continuing wildfire risks as Santa Ana winds gust through Southern California

The National Weather Service is forecasting hazardous weather conditions to persist Sunday throughout a wide swath of coastal and inland Southern California.
“Any fires will have extreme fire growth and be very difficult or impossible to control. Avoid any activities that
could spark a fire,” the San Diego National Weather Service office advised.
Red flag warnings are in effect from an area that ranges from the Santa Maria area of Santa Barbara County to the Mexican border. National Weather Service maps show the warnings appear to apply to an area that includes virtually all of Los Angeles County south of the Antelope Valley; most of Orange County aside from a narrow strip along the coastline and the Inland Empire area of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, inclusive of communities in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains.
Huge smoke clouds rise into the sky at the Thomas fire Saturday. The Thomas Fire has spread to near 150,000 acres. (Photo by Gene Blevins for the Los Angeles DailyNews/SCNG)The sun sets behind the thick smoke of the Thomas fire near Rose Valley recreation area Saturday. The Thomas Fire has spread to near 150,000 acres. (Photo by Gene Blevins for the Los Angeles DailyNews/SCNG)A helicopter carries water while trying to keep a wildfire from jumping Santa Ana Rd. near Ventura, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)Firefighters light backfire while trying to keep a wildfire from jumping Santa Ana Road near Ventura, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)This Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017 satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe shows plumes of smoke from fires burning in the mountains east of San Fernando, Calif. (DigitalGlobe via AP) ©2017 DigitalGlobeIn this Oct. 9 file photo, a helicopter dumps water on a home as firefighters battle a wildfire called Canyon Fire #2 in Anaheim Hills. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP, File)Palm trees sway in a gust of wind as a firefighter carries a water hose while battling a wildfire at Faria State Beach in Ventura, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)U.S. Forest fire crews fight fire with fire as they set off huge backfires to cut off the northern flank of the Thomas fire near Rose Valley recreation area on Saturday. Dec. 9, 2017 in the Los Padres National Forest. The Thomas Fire has spread to near 150,000 acres. (Photo by Gene Blevins for the Los Angeles DailyNews/SCNG)This Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017 false-color image from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellite via NASA, shows a brown burn scar from the Thomas fire north of the city of Ventura, Calif., at bottom center. The flames stand out starkly as smoke billows toward the Pacific Ocean. Untouched areas of vegetation appear in bright shades of green. (European Space Agency/NASA via AP)Firefighters attack a brush fire reported in the 500 block of Norumbega Road in Monrovia about 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. (Courtesy of U.S. Forest Service)Smoke billows into the air from a house fire on the 1900 block of Dogwood ave. in Anaheim on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)Firefighters responded to a structure and 2-acre vegetation fire Saturday morning in the 38100 block of Cary Road shortly after 9 a.m. Courtesy of Ed SherwinCHP close the freeway due to a brush fire on the westbound side of the 118 Freeway in Simi Valley at the Yosemite Ave. Exit on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)Helicopters make water drops on hotspots from Lilac Fire near a home in Bonsall Friday, December 8, 2017. FRANK BELLINO, THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE/SCNGFirefighters work on hotspots from Lilac Fire that destroyed homes in Bonsall Friday, December 8, 2017. FRANK BELLINO, THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE/SCNGA firefighter works on hotspots on the destroyed homes at Rancho Monserate Country Club from Lilac Fire near Interstate 15 Friday, December 8, 2017. FRANK BELLINO, THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE/SCNGA Bel-Air home that was charred during the Skirball fire is shown Friday. (Photo by Olga Grigoryants)The devastating Canyon Fire 2 that scorched more than 9,000 acres and destroyed 25 structures in October was started when high winds pushed smoldering embers from a clump of oak ignited by the previous Canyon Fire in the same area. ,(File photo by Will Lester-Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)In this Sept. 25, 2017, file photo, firefighters battle to save homes as the Canyon 1 wildfire destroyed homes. (Watchara Phomicinda/The Orange County Register via AP, File)A helicopter drops water while battling the Thomas fire in Ojai, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. The biggest and most destructive of the windblown fires raking Southern California shut down one of the region’s busiest freeways Thursday and threatened Ojai, a scenic mountain town dubbed “Shangri-La” and known for its boutique hotels and New Age spiritual retreats. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)People sit on a hill and watch as a firefighting aircraft drops fire retardant on the Liberty Fire near Los Alamos in Murrieta Thursday, December 7, 2017. (Andrew Foulk for The Press Enterprise/SCNG)Firefighter Ryan Spencer battles a wildfire as it burns along a hillside toward homes in La Conchita, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017. The wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)A couple watches the Liberty Fire burn near Los Alamos in Murrieta Thursday, December 7, 2017. (Andrew Foulk for The Press Enterprise/SCNG)Show Caption of Expand
The National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office has warned that Santa Ana winds are expected to blow throughout much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties Sunday, with gusts attaining speeds of 40 to 55 miles per hour. Dry air is expected to further contribute to the danger — meteorologists forecast relative humidity to be as low as 3 to 10 percent through midweek.
“As a result, critical Red Flag conditions will persist over most of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties through Sunday with a chance for locally critical conditions continuing into Monday especially in the mountains,” the National Weather Service reported in a statement published Saturday afternoon. “The Santa Barbara County Mountains will also be near critical tonight into Sunday with gusty east winds.
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The weather agency’s San Diego office posted similar warnings early Sunday morning for Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Forecasters warned of winds blowing at speeds of 25 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts as strong as 60 or even 75 miles per hour. The most powerful winds are anticipated to blow through early afternoon along mountain ridges and coastal slopes into inland valley areas, as well as inland Orange County.
San Diego-based forecasters predict humidity levels as low as 5 to 10 percent.
The red flag warnings are scheduled to remain in effect through 8 p.m. Sunday.
Source: Oc Register