The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for much of the Bay Area from Thursday night through Saturday evening because of dry and windy conditions that pose a risk of wildfires spreading quickly. Kari Hall reports.
As dangerous fire weather settles over much of Northern California, the California Office of Emergency Services is partnering with local fire agencies to pre-position crews around the Bay Area.
Cal OES is sending teams to Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, as well as Santa Cruz, Tehama, Lake, Tuolumne and Glenn counties.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for much of the region starting at 11 p.m. Thursday because of dangerous conditions, including low humidity and winds of 25-35 mph with isolated gusts of up to 65 mph in higher elevations.
The warning is in effect until 5 p.m. Saturday.
According to a social media post from the Alameda County Fire Department, crews will be deployed in the county from 8 a.m. Thursday until 8 p.m. Saturday and a spokesperson said a strike team, including Fremont fire personnel, was meeting up in Castro Valley Thursday morning.
The crews consist of various types of equipment and specialists, including extra dispatchers, water tankers, fire trucks, hand crews, command staff and bulldozers for the duration of the weather event.
People are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts via https://calalerts.org, pack a "go bag" with essential items in case of evacuations, make an emergency plan and map out multiple emergency routes out of their area.
During the Red Flag Warning, PG&E is warning that up to 28,000 customers across several counties may have their power shut off for safety reasons starting Thursday.
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