Santa Ana winds to increase fire risk in San Diego County again this week

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Another round of strong, arid Santa Ana winds will elevate wildfire dangers once again this week in the San Diego area, the National Weather Service advised today.

To alert the public to the local combustion hazards, the NWS will institute a "red flag" warning effective from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Thursday for the county's inland valleys and mountains.

The conditions – featuring winds out of the east and northeast at 50 to 80 mph, combined with humidity levels as low as 5% – are likely to be the strongest of the season so far and create "an extreme fire-weather environment...