[National Weather Service] – A red flag warning is in effect from 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday evening for moderate to strong Santa Ana winds and very low humidity for Ventura County and Los Angeles County excluding Antelope Valley.

Critical fire weather conditions will develop late Thursday night and then persist through Sunday evening. A moderate to strong Santa Ana wind event will develop over the area Thursday night through Friday midday, then weaken Saturday afternoon through Sunday.

The peak winds will occur Friday morning and again Saturday morning. Relative humidity will fall sharply into the mid-teens to single digits Friday, and by Saturday, widespread single-digit humidity will extend from the higher elevations to the lower elevations and then persist through Sunday.

The Santa Ana winds will diminish Saturday night through Sunday morning and transition to onshore Sunday  afternoon. Chaotic winds are expected, and relative humidity will be slow to recover during the transition, and critical fire conditions will persist.

Temperatures will range 5 to 15 degrees above normal through the period.

Fire Department Increases Staffing for Weather Event

The Los Angeles County Fire Department has released an augmented staffing plan in response to the National Weather Service red flag wind warning.  The red flag warning will be in effect for the Los Angeles County and Ventura mountains starting October 3 at 9:00 p.m. through October 6, 2013, at 8:00 a.m.   The Fire Department’s staffing plan begins at 2000 hours on Thursday, October 3, 2013, and end on Sunday, October 6, 2013, at 0800 hours.

Gusty northeast winds and low relative humidity can be expected for most of Los Angeles County as of today until Sunday morning.  Extreme wind gusts are expected in the mountain areas as well as the coastal and valley areas, which will result in a high fire danger throughout Los Angeles County.  In response to the increased fire danger, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl L. Osby has ordered additional staffing and pre-deployment of resources throughout Los Angeles County. In addition, Fire Chief reminds citizens in brush areas to take appropriate precautions.  These precautions include, but are not limited to:

• Report any sign of smoke immediately to your local fire department by dialing 911

(If you dial 911 from your cellular phone, know your location).

• Use extreme caution when operating spark or flame producing machinery in hazardous grass or brush areas.

• If you live in a brush area, you should have a Wildfire Action Plan in place.  Be familiar with the Ready! Set! Go! Program that provides important pre-planning and evacuation information to residents.  For more information, please log on to www.fire.lacounty.gov.

• Report any suspicious persons or vehicles to law enforcement.

For more information, please contact our Public Information Office at (323) 881-2411.