July 9, 2008
Dish area closed due to red-flag warning on Wednesday
Because of a red-flag warning indicating an extreme danger of fire, the Dish area and surrounding foothills were closed on Wednesday. As weather conditions progress, the university's public safety officials will continue to assess the danger of fire and determine the duration of the closure.
This week's scorcher has sent temperatures in communities throughout the region into or around triple-digit highs, including in Palo Alto. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat advisory on Wednesday that will remain in effect for the interior areas of the San Francisco and Monterey bay regions until 11 a.m. on Friday.
The weather service has forecasted highs on Thursday to range from 95 to 110 degrees.
Last summer, the university closed the Dish area for four weeks after two separate fires ravaged nearly 200 acres in the Stanford Foothills. The first blaze scorched 171 acres and was reportedly set by two juveniles who were trying to light dry grass with matches. The subsequent fire burned about 20 acres on July 5, 2007.
Wednesday's closure has been posted on the Stanford Dish website, at http://dish.stanford.edu, which recreational users of the area should continue to check for updates.
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