A massive wildfire badly burned this property in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa, Calif. Photo captured on October 9, 2017. (Image credit: Courtesy of John Larimore/CalOES via Facebook @CalOES)
Wildfires have devastated large portions of California this week, and the unrelenting weather isn’t helping. NOAA forecasters say that low humidity, combined with gusty northerly winds and warm temperatures, are producing critical fire weather conditions that will persist through this weekend.
Fire Weather Outlooks from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center remain “Elevated,” and California weather forecast offices continue to issue Red Flag Warnings, signaling that local conditions remain favorable for extreme fire behavior.
NOAA offices are supporting decision makers on a number of fronts to assist with public and first-responder safety. Specially trained incident meteorologists are onsite, assisting firefighting crews, while other weather experts are at state emergency operations centers briefing local authorities. NOAA is also providing special forecasts for air quality and safe aviation. High-definition images from NOAA’s new GOES-16 satellite are being used in real time to detect hotspots and new areas of ignition.
Be safe, and stay alert: Please prepare and be ready to evacuate if directed by local authorities to do so.
