Portions of Los Angeles County are at elevated risk of wildfire through Monday due to strong winds and dry weather, forecasters said Sunday.
A Red Flag Warning expired Saturday evening, but “elevated to locally brief critical fire weather conditions” will persist across portions of Southern California “due to gusty winds and low humidities,” the National Weather Service said.
For Sunday, the highest risk remained over the Antelope Valley and adjacent foothills, as well as the I-5 corridor where gusts of 35 to 50 mph will overlap with humidity levels between 15% and 30%, according to the NWS.
On Monday, elevated to brief critical fire weather conditions will be focused across the LA and Ventura county mountains, Santa Clarita Valley, northern San Fernando Valley and eastern Ventura valleys, where northeast gusts of 25 to 40 mph will overlap with humidity levels between 10% and 20%.
“Warm and dry conditions will maintain an elevated risk of grass fire activity across the interior through the week,” the NWS added.
Near to slightly below-normal temperatures were expected to continue Monday before a brief two-day heat wave Tuesday and Wednesday that is expected to see highs reach the 80s in downtown Los Angeles and upper 80s in the valleys. Overnight lows will hover in the mid-50s all week.
Daytime highs will return to the 70s beginning Thursday and stay that way through the weekend, according to current forecasts.
Strong winds were at play in two brush fires in the Antelope Valley on Saturday. The Corral Fire broke out around midday near the unincorporated Antelope Acres community and prompted shelter-in-place orders and evacuation warnings for about two hours. Firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department stopped its forward progress around 2 p.m. after the fire burned 130 acres, but no injuries or structure damage was reported.
A second fire broke out around 2 p.m. in the Lancaster area and burned about 60 acres before crews got it under control.