With dry, desiccating offshore winds developing in the San Francisco Bay Area during a severe early-autumn heat wave, officials warned Friday that the risk of wildfire sparks and spread is high. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning just before 11 a.

More than 200 October record highs have been set and extreme temperatures are poised to persist for several more days.

This weekend the thermometer is expected to soar past 100 degrees in many parts of California, just as it has for much of what has been a record-setting week.