This page was cached on Thursday, September 1 , 2022, 1:50 pm | Fair 74º
County Fire Department plans to up-staff personnel starting Wednesday night due to high temperatures, sundowner winds, low relative humidity in weather forecast
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is urging residents to take safety measures to avoid heat-related illnesses during this week's excessive heat warning.
The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for Santa Barbara County areas that will be in effect from 11 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Monday, with coastal areas expected to experience the warmest conditions on Sunday and Monday.
National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Kittell told Noozhawk that the city of Santa Barbara will have high temperatures in the 80s through Saturday and temperatures in the lower 90s on Sunday and Monday.
Meanwhile, South Coast foothill areas can expect temperatures in the 90s, close to 100 degrees by the weekend.
The excessive heat warning currently covers the South Coast, Santa Ynez Valley, Cuyama Valley, and the mountains.
While the Santa Maria Valley does not currently have any weather advisories in effect, Kittell said a heat advisory may be needed for the northern area of the county by Sunday and Monday.
In addition to the heat, sundowner winds are expected Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the foothills and San Marcos Pass, with gusts in the 35 mph to 50 mph range, leading to “elevated to near critical fire conditions,” Kittell said.
“We’re pretty confident that we will see a downward trend in heat by Tuesday,” Kittell added.
With the high temperatures, sundowner winds and predicted relative humidity of 15 to 25%, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said the California Office of Emergecy Services is funding up-staffed personnel and resources for a countywide response.
Gaviota, Goleta, and Santa Barbara will act as resource staging points for the response beginning 6 p.m. Wednesday, through the duration of the extreme fire weather.
Keep up with Noozhawk's daily COVID-19 coverage, delivered at 4:15 a.m. right to your inbox.
"Although the National Weather Service has not issued a 'Red Flag Warning' for the South Coast of Santa Barbara, we do predict 'Flirting with Red Flag Conditions,'" the county fire department said in a press release. "The alignment of topography, winds, temperatures, and low humidity can influence large scale, fast moving, and extreme fire behavior."
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department is also encouraging the public to have an evacuation plan and to take precautions, such as using caution when operating spark or flame-producing machinery in hazardous grass or brush areas, registering for alerts at ReadySBC.org, following @SBCFireInfo or @EliasonMike on Twitter, and immediately reporting any sign of smoke to the local fire department by calling 9-1-1.
Public Health issued a Health Alert and released information about preventing heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Health officials advise wearing lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothes; drinking lots of cool, non-alcoholic beverages; limiting outdoor activity; and not leaving children or pets unattended in vehicles.
“Take care of those who might not be aware of the danger or be able to react accordingly — especially the elderly, young children, and pets,” the department said in a statement Tuesday announcing the Health Alert. “Check on your neighbors.”
The Public Health Department is also recommending that people take regular breaks in shade or air-conditioned rooms, especially for those who work outside.
Signs of heat exhaustion can include the person becoming dizzy, nauseated, or sweating heavily, while the symptoms of heat stroke include those similar to heat exhaustion, as well as hot, flushed skin.
“Heat stroke is much more serious than heat exhaustion,” the Public Health Department said. “With heat stroke, the person often stops sweating and the skin will be unusually dry. If heat stroke is a possibility, call 9-1-1 immediately. Heat stroke is life threatening!”
Click here for the latest weather forecast for Santa Barbara.
Click here for the latest weather forecast for the Santa Ynez Valley.
Click here for the latest weather forecast for Santa Maria.
— Noozhawk staff writer Serena Guentz can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) . Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
Our professional journalists are working round the clock to make sure you have the news and information you need in these uncertain times.
If you appreciate Noozhawk’s coronavirus coverage, and the rest of the local Santa Barbara County news we deliver to you 24/7, please become a member of our Hawks Club today.
You need us more than ever, and we need your support.
We provide special member benefits to show how much we appreciate your confidence.
Welcome to Noozhawk Asks, a new feature in which you ask the questions, you help decide what Noozhawk investigates, and you work with us to find the answers.
Here’s how it works: You share your questions with us in the nearby box. In some cases, we may work with you to find the answers. In others, we may ask you to vote on your top choices to help us narrow the scope. And we’ll be regularly asking you for your feedback on a specific issue or topic.
We also expect to work together with the reader who asked the winning questions to find the answer together. Noozhawk’s objective is to come at questions from a place of curiosity and openness, and we believe a transparent collaboration is the key to achieve it.
The results of our investigation will be published here in this Noozhawk Asks section. Once or twice a month, we plan to do a review of what was asked and answered.
Click Here to Get Started >
NOOZHAWK P.O. Box 101 Santa Barbara, CA 93102
© Noozhawk 2007-2022 | ISSN No. 1947-6086 Noozhawk is a founding member of the Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers. Site design and development by Hop Studios Hop Studios