The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for most of the Bay Area, including all of Richmond, Berkeley and Oakland, as “strong offshore winds and critically dry conditions” are expected to create a “hazardous and extreme wildfire environment.”
The warning goes into effect at 11 a.m. Tuesday and is due to expire Thursday at 7 a.m.
“This is the time to stay on high alert, watch the news, and prepare for evacuation if needed,” reads an AC Alert issued Monday morning.
PG&E says a “Public Safety Power Shutoff” — a term it uses to refer to planned power outages meant to decrease fire risk — for Contra Costa and other counties is “a possibility.” The utility company is “in watch status” and says potential outages are likely on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, according to its website.
Get PG&E power shutoff alerts
Visit Pacific Gas and Electric’s website to sign up for alerts about planned power shut-offs in your area. You can also look up your address on PG&E’s power shut-off webpage.
Tamar Sarkissian, a PG&E spokesperson, said in an email she could not say whether Richmond residents will be impacted, but that an estimated 940 Contra Costa County customers could be affected by the PSPS, should a shut-off be called. According to the utility’s future outages map, most of those shut-offs appear to be planned for east county wilderness areas including Mt. Diablo, Las Trampas and Shell Ridge.
Rachel Kennedy, an NWS meteorologist, said the agency monitors fuel levels, wind speeds and relative humidity when deciding whether to issue a red flag warning for wildfire danger.
“In this case, we’re really meeting the winds and we’re really meeting our relative humidity criteria,” Kennedy said. “Fuels are pretty dry, but the little bit of rain we had last week did help to increase moisture slightly overall.”
Kennedy said fire risk will be highest between Tuesday evening and Wednesday, when strong northeasterly winds (sometimes called Diablo winds) are expected to blow hot, dry air from the inland toward the Bay Area coast.
The NWS predicts offshore winds of around 25 mph, with gusts potentially exceeding 55 mph in the Bay Area, according to the warning. The agency’s forecast for east Richmond predicts gusts of up to 30 mph on Tuesday evening and 34 mph on Wednesday. Kennedy recommends residents remove any holiday decorations that could be blown away.
A spokesperson for the East Bay Regional Park District did not immediately respond to an interview request, but the district has previously closed hiking trails when fire risks are high. Check the district’s park closures website before you go.
On red flag days, fire experts share this advice:
- Keep your phone on, charged and in your pocket throughout the day.
- Fill up your tank with gas and pack your trunk with a go bag of essentials and extra water. Keep in mind that garage doors operating on electricity may not open, but avoid parking on the street, to leave room for emergency vehicles to pass.
- Avoid activities that could cause a spark, such as parking or driving over dry vegetation, which has been a common cause of fires this year, said Nicole Sarment, a NWS meteorologist. Make sure you properly extinguish cigarettes and barbecues properly and follow local burn bans and firework prohibitions.
- Avoid running your lawnmower, said Gass.
- Be prepared to rapidly evacuate if needed. Have an evacuation route in mind.
