KCRA 3 Fire Threat Index: Know when the weather increases the risk of a dangerous wildfire in Northern California

The KCRA 3 weather team updates this index every day to help you track the changing risk of wildfires for four different regions.

The KCRA 3 weather team updates this index every day to help you track the changing risk of wildfires for four different regions.

There are many factors that go into predicting the day to day threat of fire here in northern California such as wind humidity and fuel moisture. However, we do take into consideration some big picture factors such as prolonged recent heat spells has that dried out our vegetation. We also consider recent drought are the trees stressed from years of water restriction and when it comes to wind, not all affect us the same. Yes, *** breeze will carry flames and increase fire danger. But an onshore wind carries more humidity that to our north wind which can drop our humidity to very low levels, sometimes 5 to 10%. And that can lead to fuels that are primed to burn. Also taken into consideration the threat of lightning in the area without much wetting rain. What you will see on air and online is our fire threat index which takes into account factors like these plus the daily components that can lead to higher fire danger. First, we look at conditions such as how strong the wind will be and how much humidity is present and how much moisture in the fuel or grass brush that could increase fire growth. It all leads to the overall fire index. We're even able to pinpoint where we have higher fire fire danger in different areas such as the foothills, coastal hills or Sierra. That way you can be aware of how high fire danger is in different parts of Northern California.

KCRA 3 Fire Threat Index: Know when the weather increases the risk of a dangerous wildfire in Northern California

The KCRA 3 weather team updates this index every day to help you track the changing risk of wildfires for four different regions.

Northern Californians know that it doesn’t have to be “fire season” for a blaze to start and threaten a community quickly.The KCRA 3 weather team has developed its exclusive Fire Threat Index to help you understand when weather conditions are increasing the risk for a wildfire.Weather conditions and the amount of moisture in vegetation vary greatly across Northern California, so the Fire Threat Index is broken down into four regions: the Valley, the Foothills, the Sierra and the Coastal Hills.Each day, the KCRA 3 weather team analyzes three important wildfire weather factors: fuel moisture, humidity and wind strength. Those three factors are used to determine a region’s expected wildfire risk over the next four days.Extra caution should be used for any outdoor activities on days when the weather elevates the risk of a big fire. These days will typically be marked as KCRA 3 weather Impact Days on the 7-day forecast.Days with extreme wildfire weather conditions, such as high winds combined with record heat in the fall, may be deemed KCRA 3 weather Alert Days.Fire Threat Index: Valley Fire Threat Index: Coastal HillsFire Threat Index: FoothillsFire Threat Index: SierraRelated Wildfire Content And Resources2024 California Wildfire Preparedness Guide: What to know and how to stay safe

Northern Californians know that it doesn’t have to be “fire season” for a blaze to start and threaten a community quickly.

The KCRA 3 weather team has developed its exclusive Fire Threat Index to help you understand when weather conditions are increasing the risk for a wildfire.

Weather conditions and the amount of moisture in vegetation vary greatly across Northern California, so the Fire Threat Index is broken down into four regions: the Valley, the Foothills, the Sierra and the Coastal Hills.

Each day, the KCRA 3 weather team analyzes three important wildfire weather factors: fuel moisture, humidity and wind strength. Those three factors are used to determine a region’s expected wildfire risk over the next four days.

Extra caution should be used for any outdoor activities on days when the weather elevates the risk of a big fire. These days will typically be marked as KCRA 3 weather Impact Days on the 7-day forecast.

Days with extreme wildfire weather conditions, such as high winds combined with record heat in the fall, may be deemed KCRA 3 weather Alert Days.