Caution Urged: Area Ripe For Fires With 'Elevated Danger' Level, High Winds, High Temps

LOS ANGELES and ORANGE COUNTIES, CA – The Southland will confront "elevated fire danger" again today as a result of high winds, high temperatures, low humidity, and exceedingly dry vegetation, the National Weather Service warned.

The strongest winds will produce gusts of between 25 and 30 miles per hour in the Santa Clarita Valley, 25-35 mph in the San Gabriel Mountains, and 40-50 mph in the Antelope Valley, and the humidity level will be between 10 and 25 percent, according to the NWS. Temperatures highs are forecast to be 91 in the mountains, 103 in the Santa Clarita Valley and 109 in the Antelope Valley.

The vegetation that could provide fuel for any new wildfire is very dry because of the region's drought.

"The potential for rapid growth and extreme fire behavior will continue for existing fires and for any new fire that occurs," warned an NWS statement. "Extreme caution is advised in all activities that take place in or near brushy areas."

Over the weekend, monsoonal moisture will slide into the area from the southeast, creating a slight chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms across the Antelope Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains in L.A. and Ventura counties, the statement said.

Through Sunday, there will be a risk of dry lightning accompanying any thunderstorm because of limited moisture. As moisture increases on Monday, so will the chance of rain, the statement said.

The NWS forecast a mix of sunny and partly cloudy skies in Los Angeles County today and highs of 77 degrees Fahrenheit in Avalon; 78 at LAX; 88 in downtown L.A.; 89 in Long Beach; 95 in San Gabriel; 96 on Mount Wilson; 97 in Burbank; 98 in Pasadena; 103 in Woodland Hills and Saugus; 108 in Palmdale; and 109 in Saugus.

Sunny skies were forecast in Orange County, along with highs of 78 in San Clemente and Newport Beach; 81 in Laguna Beach; 87 in Irvine and Anaheim; 88 in Mission Viejo; 90 in Fullerton; and 93 in Yorba Linda.
Somewhat lower temperatures -- around 3 or 4 degrees -- are expected in many communities starting Saturday.

For latest on region's Sand and Spunky fires: Sand Fire Day 8: Immense Progress With 85% Containment [Friday Update]

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--City News Service/Patch file photo