Marin County, CA -- The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning on Wednesday, September 29, for the North Bay mountains including in Marin County effective from 11 p.m. Wednesday through 11 a.m. Thursday because of dry offshore winds predicted for the North Bay and East Bay hills.
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are expected during this time frame. Residents are advised to exercise extreme caution during the warning period because a simple spark could cause a major wildfire, including the use of equipment and machinery as well as smoking.
Gusty offshore winds and dry conditions are predicted for interior North Bay mountains with a shift toward a drier air mass and offshore flow, causing critical fire weather. Locally gusty north to northeast winds overnight will coincide with poor humidity recoveries. Winds are expected to diminish through the day Thursday, but widespread critically dry humidity will prevail throughout the day.
The areas of greatest concern are locations in Napa County and into interior Sonoma County at or above 1,000 feet including the Vaca and Mayacamas ranges. Those areas will see the strongest winds, lowest humidity, and have the driest fuels; they received little to no rainfall earlier this week while other North Bay areas did get wet.
For any land-use restrictions or closures contact the appropriate land management agency:
- The National Park Service Point Reyes National Seashore is (415) 464-5100
- The Mount Tamalpais State Park information number is (415) 388-2070.
- The Marin Municipal Water District information number is (415) 945-1195.
- The Marin County Fire Information Hotline number is (415) 473-7191.
Residents are advised to exercise extreme caution during the Red Flag Warning because a simple spark could cause a major wildfire, including the use of equipment and machinery as well as smoking.
Defensible space is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire.
To register for emergency alerts, visit www.alertmarin.org. To learn more about preparing for wildfire, visit www.firesafemarin.org.