Forecasters at the National Weather Service have expanded the area where they expect the strongest and most dangerous winds. The threat posed by these incoming winds required the strongest language the National Weather Service uses: a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning.
Oxnard, Camarillo, and Thousand Oaks are just a few locales that are now under this larger, exceptional warning. The enhanced warning also now covers a significant portion of the Eaton Fire perimeter.
The expansion of the “particularly dangerous situation,” or PDS, warning means that more areas could experience wind gusts up to 70 mph from early Tuesday morning into Wednesday. Winds of this magnitude could easily cause extreme fire behavior in ongoing blazes or turn any new spark into a raging inferno.
Extreme fire danger will continue through Wednesday. PDS Red Flag Warnings are for the extreme of the extreme fire weather scenarios. In other words, this setup is about as bad as it gets. Stay aware of your surroundings. Be prepared to evacuate. Avoid anything that can spark a fire.
Wind speeds are strengthening Monday in the Los Angeles metro and nearby areas, but the most powerful and concerning winds will arrive in the earliest hours of Tuesday morning.
The weather service in Los Angeles first issued a PDS red flag warning on Sunday but expanded the areas at risk in an update Monday. Red flag warnings warn of increased fire danger, but the PDS warnings take the threat to its maximum level.
