Heavy winds and low humidity expected early next week mean part of the Bay Area is at risk for fire weather.
The National Weather Service on Friday placed the region under a Fire Weather Watch from Sunday night through Tuesday afternoon. A Fire Weather Watch is just below a Red Flag Warning, but the fire risk is still considered high, and the agency said the North Bay mountains, East Bay hills and valleys are at particular risk.
Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties are at "elevated risk" of a public safety power shutoff on Monday and Tuesday due to the weather, according to PG&E's seven-day forecast on Friday.
It’s not just the inland areas that will be impacted by the wind, either. The National Weather Service also issued a Gale Watch from Sunday night through early Tuesday morning, and the coastal Bay Area is at risk of gale-force winds of 34-47 knots during that time.
California wildfires had burned nearly 2.5 million acres this year as of Wednesday, according to CAL FIRE. That was about 1.5 million fewer acres than those that burned through Oct. 6 of last year, but double the five-year average through that time (1.2 million acres). Over 8,400 firefighters were assigned on Wednesday to the 10 large fires still burning in the state, according to the agency.
In addition to stronger winds and lower humidity the Bay Area is set for next week, the region – and the rest of the state – is in the midst of a punishing drought. Nearly 88% of the state is experiencing "extreme" or "exceptional" drought, including all of the Bay Area. Both conditions already carry elevated fire risk.
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