Learn about Red Flag Warnings

Anyone that has lived in Southern California for any length of time has heard the term “Red Flag Warning.” But exactly what does the alert mean for the average resident? The National Weather Service says that a Red Flag Warning is used to warn of an impending or occurring Red Flag Event, verified when weather and fuel conditions that are extremely receptive to fire ignition are met simultaneously. Its issuance denotes a high degree of confidence that these conditions will occur in 12 to 24 hours or less. Forecasters can issue the watch or warning for all or selected portions within a fire weather zone. The warnings remain in effect until the critical fire weather pattern comes to an end. Weather and fuel conditions that are of major concern include minimum relative humidity eq