After strong Santa Ana winds and low humidity fueled the spread of the mountain fire, a Red Flag warning over the area of Ventura County devastated by the wildfire was lifted Friday.
Weather conditions will improve as winds decrease and humidity rises, reaching an expected 18 to 20 percent by Saturday and 22 to 24 percent by Sunday. Earlier this week, humidity forecasts in the area were down to 8 to 15 percent. They say dry weather in particular could lead to forest fires, as they have issued a red flag warning for a ‘particularly dangerous situation’. a rare, severe weather advisory.
In issuing the warning Tuesday, the National Weather Service Los Angeles said conditions could lead to wildfires starting in the valleys and coastal areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, with the potential for “rapid fire expansion and extreme fire behavior ”.
A day later the Mountain fire originated in the Somis area of Ventura County.
As the wind blew through the flames, it exploded into 14,000 hectares within a day, injuring people who escaped the fast-moving fire and dozens of houses destroyed on his path. Thousands of people are still under evacuation orders on Friday after the wildfire burned more than 20,000 hectares (an area of about 50 square kilometers) in two days.
Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The mountain areas of Ventura County remained under a Red Flag Warning until 11 a.m. Friday, while other Red Flag Warnings in surrounding areas of LA and Ventura counties were lifted earlier.
However, given the widespread smoke and ash from the wildfire, areas in neighboring Los Angeles County are facing an air quality advisory stretching from Malibu to Burbank warning of fine particle pollution in the air.
“Particles in wildfire smoke can travel deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems, including heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks and breathing difficulties,” the National Weather Service advisory said. “Anyone can be affected, but people with lung or heart disease, older adults, pregnant people, children and people who spend a lot of time outdoors are at greater risk.”
