The National Weather Service is warning Bay Area residents about potential heat risks and fire danger as a brief period of scorching weather makes its way toward the region this weekend.
Temperatures in the inland valleys could creep close to 100 degrees Friday and exceed the triple-digit threshold Saturday, prompting weather officials to issue a heat advisory on Saturday for most of the Bay Area. The advisory is slated to remain in effect from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m.
The combination of sizzling temperatures, gusty winds and low humidity has weather and fire officials on high alert.
The NWS indicated that "critical fire weather conditions" for the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills will likely kick into gear late Saturday morning and continue through Sunday evening. Blazes that ignite could spread swiftly, according to the NWS.
Folks across the Bay Area dealing with the sweltering conditions are advised to drink plenty of water, wear lightly-colored clothing and hats, reduce the amount of time they spend outside during the hottest times of the day, and take advantage of air-conditioned areas.
People are also asked to keep an eye out for the elderly, children and pets to make sure they are finding ways to stay cool.
Santa Clara County and the city of San Jose are reminding everyone about the dangers of fireworks this time of year and some neighborhoods are already reporting illegal fireworks going off.
"Is is more critical this weekend, when we’re going into 'red flag warnings' and we’re getting high temperatures, low humidities and high winds? Absolutely," said San Jose Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Mitch Matlow. "Because one little firework that last weekend might not have started at fire, this weekend could start a major fire."
San Jose rolled out a billboard campaign as well as mailed flyers home about its online app that allows people to upload video and photos of illegal fireworks as evidence to support any citations.
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"They said they’re going to be watching critical hot spot areas, hopefully it will make a difference this time around," said Neighborhood Associate Member Jeff Levine.
So far this year, the fire department says it has already issued about $5,000 in citations for illegal fireworks.
Saturday is slated to be the hottest day of the week, according to weather officials. Temperatures are expected to cool down Sunday and continue dropping off into the workweek.
