Red Flags Extended to 6p Friday, Cal Fire Reminds Mountain Residents 'Be Fire Safe'

Red flag warnings were extended to 6 p.m. Friday as Cal Fire-Riverside County officials issued a reminder to mountain residents to remain vigilant and "fire safe."

Warnings for strong winds, dry conditions and above normal temperatures have been in effect in Riverside and San Bernardino counties since 6 p.m. Sunday Jan. 12, National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Moede said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon.

A 1,700-acre fire in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Glendora was zero percent contained as of 2:30 p.m. Jan. 16, according to the L.A. County Office Of Emergency Management.

Cal Fire-Riverside County sent strike teams to assist on the Colby Fire, and a full contingent of locally-based crews remains on alert in Riverside County, Mark Annas of Cal Fire said earlier Thursday.

Here's the full release from Cal Fire issued Thursday afternoon:

Unseasonable summerlike weather during these winter months can be very enjoyable for outdoor activities; but can equally lend itself to extreme, even critical fire danger for residents and visitors  throughout Riverside County; especially our mountain communities.

"The destructive Mountain and Silver fires of last summer, challenged firefighters with dangerous and unpredictable fire behavior due to extremely low fuel moisture and severe drought conditions," said CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Chief, John R. Hawkins. "I cannot stress enough the importance of residents 
doing their part in protecting their homes, families and communities. Fire safety begins at home."

CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department encourages homeowners to visit www.readyforwildfire.org; a user-friendly, interactive website that provides guidelines and simple tasks on hardening your home and protecting your loved ones from an advancing wildland fire.

Our website, www.rvcfire.org also provides many easy to read fact sheets, including "Exit Drills in the Home (EDITH)", "Human and Animal Evacuations," a link to sign up cellular phones for the Riverside County Early Warning Notification System (EWNS), proper equipment use and many other topics.

Riverside County Fire Department in cooperation with the Mountain Communities FireSafe Council has an on-going grant supported by a cooperative cost share agreement to help land owners reduce hazardous fuels on their property as well as a new grant to assist homeowners to remove and replace tinder-dry shake shingle roofs.

Homeowners in the mountain communities of Idyllwild, Mountain Center, Poppet Flats, Twin Pines, Pine Cove, Garner Valley, Anza and Pinyon Pines should call 951-659-6208 for more information.

PLEASE….. if you see smoke or fire, dial 9-1-1! And as always, be fire safe.

Wind-driven fires earlier this week in Riverside County included the Malki Fire in Cabazon and the Mission Fire in Jurupa Valley.
For background see:
MOUNTAIN FIRE UPDATE: 4,100 Homes Threatened, Evac Orders for Idyllwild

SILVER FIRE: Initial Attack Overwhelmed, After Action Report Offers Details, Cause Still Under Wraps

How Dry was 2013? Cities of Riverside and L.A. Had Driest Calendar Years on Record