Fire Danger: Benicia Under Red Flag Warning

BENICIA, CA — Benicia is among the Bay Area locations under one of the first red flag warnings of the fire season.

The National Weather Service issued the warning, which will be in place from 11 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Monday. Critical fire weather conditions are expected for elevations below 2,000 feet, including the Carquinez Strait and the Delta, forecasters with the National Weather Service in Sacramento said.

Winds 10-20 mph are forecast, with local gusts of 35-40 mph in the Sacramento Valley and Delta and local gusts up to 25 mph in the Mother Lode.

Outdoor burning is not recommended. Any fire will spread rapidly, especially in grass and brush, weather officials said.

The National Weather Service for the San Francisco Bay Area also issued a red flag warning for the North and East Bay hills, the East Bay valleys and the eastern half of Santa Clara County. That warning goes into effect at 11 p.m. Friday and continues until 6 a.m. Monday.

Winds are forecast to hit the Napa County hills late Friday night, then spread to the East Bay overnight and early Saturday.

The warnings were issued after officials determined that offshore wind would develop this weekend, with fuels at near-record dry levels following a dry winter, the weather service said

Warm and dry conditions are forecast Saturday and Sunday. The pattern will continue to dry out grasses, the weather service said.

Read the red flag warning for Benicia here.

Patch local editor Courtney Teague contributed to this report.