San Diego

Another Day of Heat and Elevated Fire Dangers for San Diego

A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through 1 a.m. Wednesday in San Diego’s deserts

Parts of San Diego County are in for another day of intense heat and elevated fire dangers Tuesday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) San Diego said a Red Flag Warning remains in effect through 1 a.m. Wednesday for the deserts and desert slopes in San Diego County. This includes Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning.

Along with the heat, strong, gusty winds and low humidity is in the forecast – a combination that heightens the risk of wildfires.

Jodi Kodesh's Morning Forecast for Tuesday, June 27, 2017

The NWS said gusts in the deserts could reach between 15 and 35 mph. At its lowest point, the humidity will hover around 5 percent, increasing to 10 to 15 percent late Tuesday night.

If a wildfire sparks in these conditions, it will likely spread quickly. The NWS said outdoor burning of any kind should be avoided under the Red Flag Warning.

As a precaution, Alpine Fire Marshal Jason McBroom said homeowners should not use metal blades if working in their gardens, including for weed whacking.

"All you need is that one spark," he said. "What we're going to try to do is re-educate homeowners and let them know, no fireworks, no open sources of ignition where anything could happen."

NBC 7’s Gaby Rodriguez reports from Rancho San Diego where residents are doing their part to lower the fire danger.

NBC 7 meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said temperatures across the county will drop slightly today – but not enough to make a big difference. The weather, she said, will feel a lot like what San Diegans experienced on Monday.

Areas like Poway, El Cajon, and Escondido will be in the mid-90s; San Diego’s foothills will also feel the heat. Deserts will reach around 110 degrees, Kodesh said in her First Alert forecast.

NBC 7 Jodi Kodesh uses her tools to show just how dry and hot California has been this week.

In the East County, the hot weather is in the forecast at least through Wednesday.

β€œWe’re basically sitting in a dry dome,” said Kodesh, referring to the lack of water vapor over the state of California.

At around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, a brush fire sparked on a hillside at Dehesa and Sloan Canyon roads in the East County. The Sloane Fire quickly burned about 20 acres; firefighters were able to stop its forward rate of spread about an hour later

These conditions can cause heat-related illness; the elderly, children and those unaccustomed to excessive heat will be most susceptible. 

By the week's end, temperatures will decrease a bit, giving locals some relief.

Southern California is used things heating up this time of year. The NWS said that on June 27, 1976, Alpine set a record-high for the month of June hitting 109 degrees. More heat history on this date for SoCal can be seen here:

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