To promote Wildfire Readiness, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCoFPD) implemented the Red Flag Warning Program in 2014 as the Santa Ana winds and the possibility of wildfires strongly brewed over the area. The Red Flag Warning is designed to enhance public safety by providing a visual reminder that extreme fire conditions are predicted or present.
“This program is another tool to warn residents that there is a Red Flag warning and an increased fire danger,” stated Fire Chief Dan Munsey. “The Red Flag Warning program is in place to help residents understand how their home’s location, surrounding vegetation, construction elements, and other factors place them at risk during a wildfire and methods they can take to lessen the risk.”
When the National Weather Service posts a Fire Weather Watch or a Red Flag Warning for our area, a Red Flag will be flown below the American flag at your County Fire station to serve as a visual reminder that extreme fire weather conditions have been predicted and/or are present.
“County Fire has an arsenal of resources readily available. These include our specialized firefighting workforce, gel task force, dozers, hand crews, and a partnership with the Sheriff’s Dept. for water-dropping helicopters,” stated Deputy Chief Scott Tuttle. Chief Tuttle also reiterated that SBCoFPD is prepared to defend life and property within the county. All factors that contribute to the potential for large damaging wildfires are continuously monitored.
A Red Flag Warning, also known as a Fire Weather Warning, is the highest alert forecast warning issued by the National Weather Service to inform firefighting agencies that conditions are ideal for wildland fire ignition, and rapid propagation over the next 24 hours.
A separate but less imminent forecast may include a Fire Weather Watch, which is issued to alert fire agencies to the possibility that Red Flag conditions may exist beyond the first 12-hour forecast period. That watch then remains in effect until it expires, is canceled, or is upgraded to a Red Flag Warning.
Low relative humidity, strong winds, dry fuels, the possibility of dry lightning strikes, or any combination of these can constitute a watch or warning.
SBCoFPD asks that you be our eyes and ears, the best part of our team. If you see smoke or some kind of action that has the potential to start a fire, call 9-1-1 and report it immediately.
Learn how you can be prepared for a wildfire at https://sbcfire.org/readysetgofire/