A smoke advisory issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District after the Tick Fire broke out was extended into Saturday afternoon in the Santa Clarita Valley.
An onshore wind shift was expected to occur near the Tick Fire around noon on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Onshore wind gusts ranging from 20 to 30 mph were expected into the afternoon, resulting in elevated to brief critical fire weather conditions, the weather service said.
Warm and dry conditions will continue, with minimum humidity around 8% near the fire, the weather service said.
Westerly wind shifts pose a challenge for firefighters, as they may change the potential for rekindle scenarios, according to a multiagency update issued Saturday.
Air quality may cause unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups.
Santa Ana winds are expected for Los Angeles and Ventura counties from Sunday through Monday, and Wednesday through Thursday, the weather service said. The winds pose potential critical fire weather conditions and can cause rapid fire growth with new or existing fires.
Additional #SantaAnaWind events on the way for LA/Ventura counties late Sun-Mon and Wed-Thu. Still some uncertainty in strength of winds, but there is potential for significant wind events with more critical fire weather conditions. #LAWeather #cawx #TickFire pic.twitter.com/qHJnDR06lI
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) October 26, 2019
Containment of the Tick Fire in the Sand Canyon area of Santa Clarita reached 25% on Saturday, after evacuation orders were lifted for 40,000 people. Some areas remain evacuated as more than 1,300 firefighters continue battling the wildfire.
The Tick Fire that broke out on Thursday in the Agua Dulce area, burned a total of 4,615 acres, and either damaged or destroyed 18 structures, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said Saturday.
