A Red Flag Warning for critical fire-weather conditions was issued Friday for the Santa Barbara County South Coast and mountain areas by the National Weather Service.
The warning will go into effect at 4 p.m. Friday and extend until 10 p.m. Sunday.
North winds of 20-35 mph are expected, with gusts to 50 mph.
Isolated gusts up to 55 mph are likely near the Montecito foothills Friday night, increasing to 60-70 mph Saturday night into Sunday, forecasters said.
Relatively humidity is expected between 10 percent and 25 percent, with poor recovery overnight in the foothills and canyons.
“A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are expected,” according to the alert. “This in combination with dry fuels can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Use extreme caution with potential fire ignition sources.”
Southern California Edison Co. has issued advisories for some parts of the county about the potential for Public Safety Power Shutoffs over the weekend to reduce the risk of sparking wildfire.
Areas under consideration include parts of Montecito and Summerland, neighborhoods east of Goleta between Paradise Road on the north and More Mesa on the south, and coastal areas from Gaviota to Jalama Beach.
Click here for updates from Edison.
In conjuction with the Red Flag Warning, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden will voluntarily close to reduce traffic in Mission Canyon. It will reopen once the Red Flag Warning is dropped.
The forecast for Friday through Sunday is calling for sunny skies with highs in the mid- to upper-70s along the coast, and the mid- to upper-80s inland.
Temperatures are expected to rise further Monday and Tuesday before gradually cooling later in the week.
Click here for the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.