Northern California faces high fire danger heading into weekend

OAKLAND, Calif. - After about a week of blue skies and relative comfort, Northern California faces a dangerous return of triple-digit temperatures and powerful winds, meteorologists say.

KTVU meteorologist Steve Paulson said these increased fire danger conditions will likely reappear late Friday through possibly Monday. 

The National Weather Service issued an alert, warning there is a "significant threat to property or life" in North Bay Mountains, East Bay interior valleys, East Bay hills and the Diablo Range, southern Sacramento Valley and Solano County below 1,000 feet, excluding the Delta.

Winds will shift, coming from the north by Saturday night into Sunday morning. The Fire Weather Watch could easily turn into a Red Flag Warning for North Bay elevations above 1,000 feet, said KTVU meteorologist Bill Martin. Wind gusts could reach 25 to 35 mph. 

Already this year, wildfires have scorched an unprecedented 3.6 million acres of earth in California. Typically, fire season in Northern California starts in October. 

Earlier this week, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said it may preemptively cut power to some customers in the northern Sierra and the Sacramento Valley region to prevent damaged equipment from sparking fires.