The Santa Clarita Fire Watch program is designed to prevent or reduce the number of major fires by activating patrols during Red Flag Alert condition days as predicted by local fire authorities and the National Fire Weather Service. Amateur radio volunteers of the Santa Clarita Emergency Communication Team operate this program. The team is also part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Disaster Communication Service (DCS) program.

With the increased number of citizens residing in urban/wildland areas there is a greater threat to human life, loss of property and damage to the environment from devastating fires. The primary function of this program is to provide local authorities information during critical fire weather conditions. Additionally the other benefit is deterrence of fire through visibility of the program and the associated patrol activities. The area of Santa Clarita Fire Watch operations is limited to the City of Santa Clarita, neighboring unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, and the Angeles National Forest.

Red Flag Conditions

The Red Flag Weather Program is a cooperative fire prevention patrol and public awareness program conducted by local, State, and Federal fire service agencies. The Red Flag program has elements that include: mass media bulletins urging public cooperation in preventing fires through the increased presence of patrols in designated areas, and early detection and reporting of fires.

Red Flag weather criteria are defined as:

• Winds of 25 mph or more (1 Knot = 1.15 MPH)
• Burning Index of 81 or greater
• Humidity of 15% or less (see figure below)

Fire/weather information is available through:

• NOAA Weather Radio 162.550 (Mt. Wilson)
• Recorded information for Angeles National Forest at (818) 446-2501.
• N6HNY Packet Weather Station (Seco Canyon Area)- 145.070
• Riverside Fire Weather Forecast year-round radio transmissions. Schedules for local sources are approximate local time and can vary widely.
  
  

  Time	Frequency (MHz)	Agency
  1020	171.575	Angeles National Forest
  1615	171.575	Angeles National Forest
  1045	170.550	Los Padres National Forest
  1630	170.550	Los Padres national Forest

• Local airport weather conditions are available from:
  • Burbank Airport, Airport Terminal Information Service (ATIS), (818) 780-4993 or 134.500 (AM)
  • Van Nuys Airport, Airport Terminal Information Service (ATIS), (818) 780-4993 or 118.450 (AM)
    (This information is updated at 45 minutes after the hour, 24 hours per day)

Four stages of Red Flag Alert are defined as:

• Stage I-FIRE WEATHER WATCH - A possible critical fire weather pattern (30% chance of a RED FLAG ALERT)
• Stage II-RED FLAG WARNING - An ongoing or imminent critical fire weather pattern (90% chance of developing into an ALERT)
• Stage III-ALERT - Called by local fire agency
  There are two types:
  
  • Limited-Conditions exist over a limited area (affected areas will be specified.)
  • General-Conditions exist over a large portion of Southern California.
• Stage IV-CANCELLATION - Cancellation of Red Flag Alert

For more information contact Brad Marckquardt, City Radio Officer at (661) 254-4600.