By Cindy Von Quednow
The Ventura County Star
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — The first Santa Ana winds of the year are expected to blow through the county this week, intensifying fire concerns.
A wind advisory and “red flag” fire warning will be in effect in the interior valleys and mountains of Ventura County until 3 p.m. today, the National Weather Service said. Gusts of up to 50 mph in local mountains are expected.
“That doesn’t mean we’re forecasting fire,” said Jayme Laber, a hydrologist with the weather service. “We are forecasting weather that, if a fire broke out, it has potential for large growth.” Capt. Ron Oatman, spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department, said fires are always a concern this time of year.
“We’ve had a pretty average or mild fire season all year, and the conditions are ripe,” Oatman said.
There’s dead vegetation left over from a drought and new vegetation after recent rains, both of which quickly dry out from incoming winds and low humidity, Oatman said.
A possible drying factor: Gusty northeast winds were forecast across mountains in Ventura and Los Angeles counties through Wednesday afternoon.
Strong Santa Ana winds can spread any fire rapidly. Oatman advises residents to be extra cautious when doing yardwork with anything that can cause a spark and to store flammable items that can be easily pushed around by winds.
“We always remind everyone that we have a year-round fire season in Southern California, even though veteran firefighters consider the fall the true fire season,” he said.
Gusts of 40 to 50 mph were expected across local mountains and between 30 and 40 mph in the valleys and may make driving difficult. The weather service advises drivers of large vehicles to be careful.
Winds are expected to taper off by the weekend, when higher temperatures are expected. Forecasters said a low-pressure system will move across the coast next week, cooling the area. Overnight temperatures across much of the county are expected to be in the mid 40s through Friday and then into the low 50s on Saturday and Sunday, the weather service said.
Daytime temperatures will be in the mid-70s today and rise to the lower 80s on Friday. By Saturday, the high temperature is expected to be in the mid-90s. On Sunday, the high will decline to the low 80s.
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