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\u201cWe\u2019re pretty confident that the red flag conditions are going to come to pass beginning 8 a.m. Sunday morning and continue through at least 8 p.m., Monday evening,\u201d said Jeffery Wood, meteorologist for the National Weather Service\u2019s Sacramento office.<\/p>\n
The warning area spans from Modesto to Redding.<\/p>\n
In high-terrain areas in the North Bay and the East Bay, the Weather Service also warned of an elevated risk of grass fires through the weekend into Monday.<\/p>\n
Wood and the Weather Service said residents should follow key safety steps to minimize the risk of igniting a fire: avoid outdoor burns, properly dispose of cigarette butts instead of throwing them on the ground or in grass and drivers are encouraged to check under their cars for dragging objects whose sparks could cause a roadside fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you haven\u2019t cleaned up areas around your house, if you\u2019ve got dead grass clippings or leaves in the yard, it would be a good time to start cleaning those out,\u201d Wood said. \u201cGive your house a defensible position.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n