Red flag warning covers all of Truckee through Friday
Dry air and reversed winds could drive a new fire westward at high speed.
All of Truckee remains under a red flag warning until 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16. Around town, red flags outside firehouses and warning magnets on district vehicles mark the elevated conditions. TruckeeFire.org is also displaying a revised local fire-risk level.
The regional National Weather Service alert began at 12 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15. It applies to the Sierra and nearby foothills, with its western edge starting along the Sierra crest. That boundary includes the area served by the Truckee Fire Protection District. Exceptionally dry air and winds arriving from the east or northeast are combining to increase the danger.
The wind direction makes this episode uncommon for Truckee. Local winds ordinarily arrive from the southwest, carrying a fire toward the northeast. This event turns that usual movement around. If a fire begins, the wind could propel it rapidly toward the west. Fire Chief Kevin McKechnie said the combination of reversed winds and low humidity changes how flames could move through the community during the warning period.
- The alert includes the Sierra and neighboring foothills.
- Its boundary begins along the Sierra crest.
- Kevin McKechnie is Truckee’s fire chief.
- District vehicles carry warning magnets during the alert.
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