The National Weather Service has extended the red flag warning for the Santa Ynez Mountains through 9 p.m. Tuesday due to the hot and unstable weather conditions.
A high pressure system is expected to maintain a prolonged heat wave through Tuesday night with temperatures expected to spike as high as 110 degrees in locations farther away from the coast.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department has set its fire danger level to high and residents are asked to use extreme caution and report any sign of smoke or fire immediately.
Santa Barbara County Fire Department Capt. David Sadecki said residents should take special care with power tools, cars or any outdoor appliances or equipment that can generate heat or throw sparks during red flag conditions.
“As many as 94 percent of wildland fires are human-caused and most are accidental,” Sadecki said.
“The difference between getting through this safely and starting a fire could be as simple as where you park your car.”
High temperatures broke records Sunday near the Santa Barbara Airport with a high of 87 degrees, breaking a record of 86 degrees originally set in 1959.
The same area is expected to average 90 degrees through Wednesday, according to National Weather Service Specialist Scott Sukup.
Mostly sunny weather is expected this week with highs near 90 degrees and lows in the 60-degree range through Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Persistent hot weather with low humidity has covered Santa Barbara with dry vegetation characteristic of drought conditions.
For this reason, Sadecki asks residents to avoid placing hot equipment on grass or near foliage since they can cause fires.
Dried vegetation usually acts as kindling for wildland fires, especially when they occur alongside sundowner winds that can turn even a minor flame into a county-wide blaze, he said.
Residents are also asked to have an emergency evacuation plan ready including exits from neighborhoods and to be watchful of suspicious behavior.
The National Weather Service issues red flag warnings when critical fire weather conditions are either in progress or are expected to occur in the near future, usually within the next 24 hours.
These warnings have been issued throughout Southern California, including parts of Ventura and Los Angeles County.
Warnings are calculated based on daytime wind speeds, topography, distance from water sources and other factors that create ideal conditions for wildland fires.
The initial red flag warning was set to expire Monday, but was extended due to erratic conditions.
— Noozhawk intern Shaun Kahmann can be reached at skahmann@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
