Key facts
- Alert
- Red Flag Warning (severe)
- Issued by
- National Weather Service, Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
- Areas
- Santa Clarita Valley; Ventura County Beaches; Ventura County Inland Coast; Lake Casitas; Ojai Valley; Central Ventura County Valleys; Malibu Coast; Calabasas and Agoura Hills; Western San Fernando Valley; Eastern San Fernando Valley; Southeastern Ventura County Valleys; Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley; Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area; Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area; Santa Susana Mountains; Southern Ventura County Mountains; Northern Ventura County Mountains; Interstate 5 Corridor; Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor; Eastern San Gabriel Mountains; Western Antelope Valley Foothills; Eastern Antelope Valley Foothills
- In effect
- until 8:00 PM PDT, Oct 17, 2026
What the National Weather Service says
“A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly.”
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA, Red Flag Warning, 5:42 PM PDT Oct 16, 2026 · official alert
“ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.”
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA, Red Flag Warning, 5:42 PM PDT Oct 16, 2026 · official alert
“OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.”
NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA, Red Flag Warning, 5:42 PM PDT Oct 16, 2026 · official alert
What to do
Do not burn outdoors while the warning is in effect. Avoid anything that can throw a spark, such as campfires, welding, mowing dry grass or dragging chains from vehicles.
Be careful with vehicles and equipment. Do not park on dry grass, and keep cigarettes and other hot items away from dry vegetation.
Know your evacuation routes and keep a bag ready with medicines, documents and phone chargers. Follow local evacuation orders immediately if they are issued.
Check the National Weather Service forecast and local emergency alerts for updates, since conditions can change quickly.
Context
The warning covers many counties in California. For three of them, FEMA records show past disaster declarations, including a wildfire declaration dated 2020-10-16 for two of those counties.
FEMA flood-insurance claim counts, such as 280 claims in one county and 63 in another, only cover insured properties for flood losses. They do not measure fire risk and do not reflect uninsured losses.
Updates
- The red flag warning is no longer in effect.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 8:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 10:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 8:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 6:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 10:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 8:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 8:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 8:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 8:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 8:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 10:00 PM PDT.
- The National Weather Service updated the red flag warning; it remains in effect until 11:00 AM PDT.
- National Weather Service offices: Hanford CA, Sacramento CA, Eureka CA, San Francisco CA, Los Angeles/Oxnard CA issued the red flag warning until 10:00 PM PDT.
History here
This county: 280 flood insurance claims in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program records since 1978, most recent 2025.
This county: recent federal disaster declarations
- DR-4699 (2023): severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4683 (2023): severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4569 (2020): wildfires
- DR-1689 (2007): severe freeze
This county: 63 flood insurance claims in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program records since 1978, most recent 2023.
This county: recent federal disaster declarations
- DR-4699 (2023): severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4683 (2023): severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4569 (2020): wildfires
- DR-1689 (2007): severe freeze
- DR-1646 (2006): severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
This county: recent federal disaster declarations
- DR-4699 (2023): severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4683 (2023): severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4434 (2019): severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4431 (2019): severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides
- DR-4308 (2017): severe winter storms, flooding, and mudslides
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Questions
- Is there a Red Flag Warning in the Sierra Nevada today?
- Yes. The National Weather Service Red Flag Warning remains in effect until 10:00 PM PDT on Friday, October 16, 2026, for elevations above 4,000 feet of the Sierra Nevada and the Kern County mountains.
- What is causing the Red Flag Warning?
- Strong northeast winds and low relative humidity. The National Weather Service gives a 40 to 60 percent probability of gusts exceeding 40 MPH on Friday, with minimum humidity of 15-25 percent.
- Can I burn outdoors during this Red Flag Warning?
- No. The National Weather Service says outdoor burning is not recommended, and any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.
Sources
- NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA: Red Flag Warning, Oct 16, 2026 weather.gov
- FEMA OpenFEMA: NFIP claims and disaster declarations fema.gov
How this page is made. The Herebeat Hazard Desk builds event pages from official U.S. government data (National Weather Service, USGS, FEMA). The text is written with AI from that data; every number and quote is checked against the official source automatically before publishing, and the page is updated when the agency updates the event. The official source is always the reference. Spotted a mistake? info@herebeat.app. About the Hazard Desk.