Red flag warning in effect today for Sonoma County

OAKLAND, Calif. (BCN) - A red flag warning is in effect today in Sonoma County, with strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures increasing the danger of fire, county officials said.

The warning issued by the National Weather Service, will be in effect until 11 p.m. The county's emergency management division is monitoring conditions, with staffers on call and ready to respond if a fire should break out, according to county officials.

Residents are urged to stay informed, review evacuation and communication plans and prevent fires, county officials said.

To stay informed, residents can sign up for safety information on Nixle by texting their ZIP code to 888-777. They can also sign up for SoCo (Sonoma County) Alerts at www.SoCoAlert.com.

Evacuation and communication plans should include several evacuation routes in case roads are blocked. Cars should be kept fueled and in good condition, and residents should know how to manually open garage doors in case of a power outage.

To help prevent fires, residents should call 911 immediately if they see smoke or flames. County officials said residents should not use open flames, briquettes or fireworks of any kind, and should never mow or trim dry grass on a red flag warning day.