Red flag
Summer ends today, just in time for the hottest, driest time of the year in California, a season commemorated with the colorful red flags hanging from rural firehouses.
No, really, today’s a “Red Flag Warning” day in both northern and southern California, marking a day of extreme wildfire danger due to unusually low humidity and high winds. Typically the wind is from the east on days like this — sometimes called a Diablo wind in the Bay Area and (more famously, thanks to Joan Didion) a Santa Ana in the L.A. area.
Here’s the NOAA fire weather page.
It’s a good time to remember that the 1991 Oakland firestorm occured 15 years ago next month, as high winds from the east blew over the ridges of the Oakland hills and fanned the flames of a small grass fire into a four-day mammoth blaze that burned almost 3000 dwellings and killed 25 people.
Excellent surf days btw, not to make light of the danger. But offshores, especially warm offshores are really nice for surf conditions.
Hot, dry winds such as described are believed to have strange effects on the emotions of people in their wake - one theory is that electrification of the atmosphere by positive ions affects both mood and health, increasing incidents such as suicides and violent crime. So there’s even more to be wary of than just fire hazard!
1981 NYTimes article