With High Winds Comes High Fire Danger

As the winds begin picking up in San Juan Capistrano, the National Weather Service is issuing warnings of a high fire danger Wednesday night into Thursday.

A mix of gusty winds and warm, dry weather will create "explosive fire growth potential," the Weather Service advises Orange County residents in a red flag warning it issued this morning.

The wind is expected to blow at 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph in the windiest areas. Highs in San Juan Capistrano will be in the low to mid 70s the rest of the week with lows in the upper 40s and low 50s. 

Santa Ana winds are expected to blow in, bringing dry conditions, fire warnings and warmer days and cooler nights for the rest of the week.

Winds are expected to pick up early Wednesday afternoon, mainly in the higher elevations of the San Bernardino mountains.

Northeast winds are expected to pick up again Wednesday evening with the strongest winds through and below the passes of the San Bernardino and Santa Ana mountains.

Wind-prone areas will begin to dry out Wednesday evening, with drying spreading to the valleys and coastal areas overnight. By early Thursday morning, humidity will have dropped to the 15 to 20 percent range, with the exception of the immediate coast.

The strongest wind gusts will quickly die down by Thursday afternoon, though weak offshore winds and dry conditions will persist through the weekend, the weather service predicts.