Lake Elsinore Faces Elevated Fire Risk As Santa Ana Winds Rage

LAKE ELSINORE , CA — Lake Elsinore-Wildomar and all of Riverside County face an elevated risk of wildfire Friday due to gust Santa Ana winds and low humidity levels, warned the National Weather Service

Several days of windstorms were expected to peak Friday with winds out of the northeast at 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 45 mph in the mountains and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, according to the weather service. Humidity will hover in the 8- 12% range throughout the day. The same high pressure system affecting the west coast is likely to keep temperatures above average Friday and through much of the week, forecasters said.

Residents are advised to take precautions to protect against fires. A red flag warning remains in effect through 6 p.m. Friday in the Riverside metropolitan area, the county mountains and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning.

A high wind warning is also in effect until 3 p.m. Friday in those three areas.

The red flag warning means that outdoor burning is heavily discouraged because any wildfires that develop will likely spread rapidly, according to the NWS. The high wind warning advises that the gusty conditions may knock down trees or power lines, and travel will be difficult for high profile vehicles in wind-prone areas.

High temperatures Friday could reach 75 degrees in the Coachella Valley, 65 in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, 69 in Riverside, 67 in Lake Elsinore, 68 in Temecula, 66 in Hemet and 51 in Idyllwild.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.