Red Flag Warning issued for Montecito & the South Coast

MONTECITO, CA – Montecito Fire Department is preparing for dangerously elevated fire weather conditions and asks community members to take steps now to be ready to evacuate in the event of a wildfire.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Santa Barbara County South Coast from 6 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Wednesday, due to gusty winds, low humidities and excessively hot temperatures.

A Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are occurring now or will soon. The combination of strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures can cause rapid fire spread and erratic fire behavior.

The National Weather Service says strong sundowners are expected to develop across the foothills and mountains of southern Santa Barbara County Monday night into Tuesday night. The potential for widespread critical fire weather conditions is forecast to be most severe Tuesday into Tuesday night. Due to these conditions, SoCal Edison may initiate a Public Safety Power Shutoff between Monday night and Tuesday night.

• Temperatures: 85-95 degrees, potential to exceed 100 degrees Tuesday. Cooling begins Wednesday. Excessive Heat Watches will be in place Tuesday through Thursday.
• Low Humidities: Minimum 15-25% Monday afternoon and decreasing to 10% or lower Tuesday.   
• Winds: N-NE winds 35-50 mph, strongest Monday night through Wednesday morning. Isolated gusts to 60 mph possible in the Montecito foothills and mountains.

Montecito Fire has increased staffing levels in response to the Red Flag Warning.  Additionally, Cal OES has pre-positioned a strike team of five engines, a water tender, a handcrew and a dispatcher in Santa Barbara County.

Please review the “Ready! Set! Go!” wildfire action plan. We are currently in the “Set!” phase. Also, register for emergency alerts at ReadySBC.org. Click on the red button to sign up to receive alerts via text, phone and email. Follow Montecito Fire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or visit montecitofire.com for updates.

MERRAG team members are staffing an information kiosk at the Upper Village Green on East Valley Rd. during the Red Flag Warning to assist the community with understanding how to prepare for wildfire.

For questions, please contact Christina Favuzzi, Public Information Officer at 805-680-5526.

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