Fire & Emergency Resources
Red Flag Warning & Fire Weather Watches
The National Weather Service issues Red Flag Warnings & Fire Weather Watches to alert fire departments of the onset, or possible onset, of critical weather and dry conditions that could lead to rapid or dramatic increases in wildfire activity.
A Red Flag Warning is issued for weather events which may result in extreme fire behavior that will occur within 24 hours. A Fire Weather Watch is issued when weather conditions could exist in the next 12-72 hours. A Red Flag Warning is the highest alert. During these times extreme caution is urged by all residents, because a simple spark can cause a major wildfire. A Fire Weather Watch is one level below a warning, but fire danger is still high.
The type of weather patterns that can cause a watch or warning include low relative humidity, strong winds, dry fuels, the possibility of dry lightning strikes, or any combination of the above.
During heightened fire danger, CAL FIRE will place additional firefighters on duty, staff more fire engines and keep more equipment on 24 hours a day to be able to respond to any new fires. CAL FIRE urges Californians to be extremely cautious, especially during periods of high fire danger. It’s important all residents and visitors take steps to prevent wildfires. One less spark could mean one less wildfire. See below for tips on preventing wildfires.
Equipment Use and Safety
– Spark arresters are required in wildland areas on all portable gasoline powered equipment.
Campfire Safety
Defensible Space (see our brochure for guidelines)
Vehicle
Other
– Report any suspicious activities to prevent arson.
source: Cal Fire
Emergency Resources
Info related to Local Emergencies:
Wind, Fire, and Smoke (and power shutoff) links
All Sonoma County Emergencies
Sonoma County Incident Map (customizable ArcGIS map)
Weather and Wind
Sonoma Forecast (note weather hazard section if applicable at top)
Local Newspaper’s wind gust map (may be taken offline at some point)
Power Shutoff information:
PG&E public safety power shutoff area map
PG&E proposed power shutoff lookup by address
Power Shutoff news and general info page
Fire
ESRI Wildfires map (a well displayed, but not always current, map)
Smoke
Purple Air map (air quality in fine detail)
Smoke plume map (that sometimes only shows air quality dots)
National Weather Service Air Quality Forecast Map
Rain and Flooding:
Rainfall/Precipitation info (with links to individual station info)