LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Due to increased risk of fire, the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for Lake County and several neighboring counties.
Lake County Central Dispatch announced late Friday afternoon that the red flag conditions would begin at 12 a.m. Saturday and continue until 4 p.m. that same day.
The National Weather Service says a red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring or will occur shortly.
Such conditions usually are created by a combination of strong winds, low humidity and warm temperature, the agency said.
Red flag conditions also are in effect in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Placer Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba counties, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service said low pressure is retrograding from the Northern Rockies into Northern California and bringing a period of dry and gusty north to northeast winds late Friday night and on Saturday. There also is the possibility of isolated thunderstorms and some rainfall.
Because of dry and windy weather, fuel moisture already has dried to late summer levels in some areas, the agency reported.
Lake County has experienced some small wildland fires and a home fire so far this week, and Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells told Lake County News that low humidity has been reported.
In Lake County, forecasters are predicting gusty northerly winds and low humidity Friday night, continuing into Saturday.
The fire weather zone in Lake County is reported to be below the 3,000 foot level, officials said.
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