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High temperatures in the upper 90s and 100s are expected to blanket the Bay Area this weekend, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag warning amid concern of new wildfires.
The warning that began Saturday evening has been extended through Monday evening, according to the NWS.
The warning, which applies to eastern Alameda and Contra Costa counties as well as portions of Napa and Sonoma counties and most of the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada foothills, was set to end at 9 a.m. Monday. But, changing weather conditions provoked forecasters to extend the warning until 9 p.m. Monday.
There will be critical fire conditions Saturday night through Monday for the North Bay coast and the East Bay hills and interior valleys, according to the National Weather Service.
Hot and dry temperatures will produce critical fire conditions and will increase heat-related risks.
Wind gusts of up to 45 mph over the weekend and low humidity are expected to pair with the high temperatures to increase the danger of fires sparking along the Interstate 680 corridor, Highway 4 corridor and I-580 east of Altamont.
Firefighters across the state continue to battle 25 major wildfires, many of which were sparked during the last West Coast heat wave in mid-August, including the LNU and SCU Lightning Complex fires.
The LNU complex, which is burning in Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Lake, Colusa and Yolo counties, is 98% contained, according to Cal Fire.
The complex has burned an estimated 363,220 acres, to date.
The SCU complex, which has burned nearly 400,000 acres in Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Merced and Stanislaus counties, is also 98% contained, Cal Fire said Friday.
Neither fire complex is expected to grow during the heat wave, but firefighters continue their efforts to fully contain both complexes.
More than 8,000 wildfires across the state have burned more than 3.6 million acres combined in 2020, according to Cal Fire.
— Bay City News Service
Cooling center at Pleasanton Senior Center
Pleasanton city officials will open a cooling center for residents at the Senior Center on Sunday and Monday with temperatures forecast to reach or exceed 100 degrees those days.
The hours of operation are currently set for 12-7 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.
Face coverings are required (worn properly over the nose and mouth), and attendees must maintain physical distancing at all times, according to city officials. Capacity is limited to 24 visitors at a time, in compliance with the Alameda County health order.
Bottled water will be provided, as well as access to charging outlets. No pets will be allowed for safety reasons.
People should not go to the cooling center if they are sick, have a fever or are experiencing other symptoms of COVID-19, or have been exposed to the virus. “All visitors will be asked a series of health screening questions and have their temperature checked prior to being authorized cooling center entry,” city officials said.
“Please remember to keep hydrating throughout the day and limit outdoor activity as much as possible,” they added.
The Pleasanton Senior Center is located at 5353 Sunol Blvd.
— Pleasanton Weekly staff
PG&E contemplates power shutoffs; Alameda County not on list so far
PG&E is keeping an eye on the weather forecast for northern California during this final September weekend, especially since the National Weather Service is forecasting potentially strong and dry offshore winds to begin early Sunday morning.
Due to the expected weather conditions, PG&E has begun notifying customers in regions of the state where the utility may find it necessary to proactively turn off electricity for safety — to reduce wildfire risk from energized power lines.
In the Bay Area, the only region that may be affected is Napa County. Neighboring Lake County may also be affected, PG&E said. But, the impact would be minimal. Less than 200 PG&E customers could be affected in Napa County. In Lake County, the impact would be even less, with less than 100 customers being potentially impacted.
The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS, could impact approximately 97,000 customers in parts of 15 counties. In addition to Napa and Lake counties, customers in Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Kern, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama and Yuba counties could be impacted.
— Bay City News Service
By Pleasanton Weekly staff
By Pleasanton Weekly staff