SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - As thousands of acres burn in Los Angeles, San Diego County continues to monitor a local Red Flag Warning.
According to the National Weather Service, "a Red Flag Warning means warm temperatures, very low humidity, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger."
CAL FIRE San Diego said they've sent more than 80 firefighters of their own up to Los Angeles to help combat the wildfires, and the rest are preparing for the potential wildfire risks in San Diego.
Captain Robert Johnson with CAL FIRE San Diego County Fire said they have been preparing for the worst over the past few days.
"Although you can't always be prepared for every type of incident and circumstances, we are prepared in the event that there is an emergency for a response," Johnson said.
Johnson said additional resources have been added, from increased staffing to more fire engines, hand crews, investigators, administrators, and more.
Johnson also said additional personnel from throughout the state have come to help out San Diego.
"We currently have strike teams of fire engines as well as strike teams of hand crews that came from outside San Diego County, and they're staged within the county in the event that there is an emergency response," Johnson said.
On Wednesday night, Johnson said crews from outside San Diego are familiarizing themselves with the terrain because the most unpredictable element right now is the Santa Ana winds.
"We're in January and we haven't seen any measurable amount of rainfall this year," Johnson said. "So the lack of rainfall in combination with the lower humidities and the higher winds is a recipe for disaster in the event that there is a wildfire that ignites."
To help monitor the Red Flag Warning across the county, CAL FIRE has its Emergency Command Center, and that's where Research Data Specialist Suzann Leininger works. The ECC is also where Cal Fire works alongside the Cleveland National Forest.
"I'm monitoring weather across the county and I'm monitoring for any smokes that might occur in the county," Leininger said.
Leininger said she can move cameras around and even zoom in if she thinks she sees brush fires coming up.
"We do have what we call a 'fire risk forecast', and that's what this purple area is considered to be," Leininger said. "If there were an ignition in this area, it has potential."
Leininger said the ECC is paying attention 24/7, and if they spot something wildfire-related, the ECC has the ability to alert those crews Johnson said are on standby throughout the county.
As CAL FIRE prepares for the risk of wildfires, Johnson and Leininger suggest families do the same.
CAL FIRE said now is the time to discuss multiple evacuation routes because wildfires are unpredictable, and if there is one path that's shut down, it will be easier to try another.
Johnson said the same for meet-up locations. Johnson said cell phones often fail to work during wildfires, so it's best to know where to meet loved ones in case calls or texts can't be sent.
Leininger also said 'Go-bags' should be prepared and ready to go. She said Go-bags help firefighters evacuate people faster and give them a better chance of saving homes.
