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LA County red flag warning starts Thursday for ‘extreme fire risk’ potential
Los Angeles County and U.S. Forest Service firefighters at the Bouquet Fire near Castaic on Oct. 4, 2026.
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Kayla Bartkowski
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Topline:
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for parts of Los Angeles County starting 6 a.m. Thursday. Here’s what you should know about the potential for “extreme fire behavior.”
What’s happening? Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the weather service, told LAist the warning is here because of a combination of heat, strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity and dry brush.
“Really, all of L.A. County has some risk for wind and fires, but the places that typically get windy with Santa Anas, those areas are under the Red Flag Warning,” he said.
In the county’s windy areas, such as the mountains and foothills, Kittell said winds could peak between 20 and 40 mph. A few mountain spots may see gusts up to 70 mph. “We’re classifying this as a moderate to locally strong type event,” he said.
The warning is currently scheduled to end Friday night, but that’ll likely be extended to Saturday.
A look at the conditions for Southern California.
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Courtesy National Weather Service
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What about power? Southern California Edison is considering shutoffs for about 90,000 L.A. County customers, including in Malibu, as of Wednesday.
According to the city, the shutoffs would be to “prevent [SCE’s] equipment from starting fires due to forecast dangerous fire conditions.” You can stay updated on SCE’s outage status page here.
How are officials preparing? At Tuesday’s NBC4/Telemundo 52 debate, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said the L.A. Fire Department has requested additional state resources and will position crews ahead of time in high-risk fire areas, including in the Palisades.
Park agencies covering the Santa Monica Mountains will close Oct. 15. That includes Leo Carrillo, Malibu Creek, Point Mugu and Topanga state parks, and Will Rogers and Santa Susana Pass state historic parks.
The forecast for Southern California's Santa Ana winds.
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Courtesy National Weather Service
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How should you prepare? To state the obvious, avoid doing things that could spark a fire, such as lighting a campfire or shooting off fireworks.
Kittell said that with shutoffs possible, charge your devices. You should be aware of your surroundings, especially in high-risk areas, and know your evacuation plan. It’s also a good idea to fill up your gas tank so you’re prepared to leave just in case.
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Go deeper: Red flag warnings? Here’s how to prepare
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