Map Shows Red Flag Fire Warning for California and Midwest States

Nine states across the U.S. have received red flag warnings amid the threat of wildfires.
Counties across California, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri have been issued the red flag warnings by the National Weather Service.
These warnings have been put into place due to weather conditions being prime for wildfires to spark and spread rapidly.
“Fire weather concerns also exist throughout much of the central U.S. today as strong southerly flow aids in producing above average temperatures and low relative humidity. red flag warnings span from Kansas to Minnesota and reiterate the potential for fires to spread rapidly,” the NWS said in a weather discussion.
A red flag warning is issued to alert firefighters, emergency responders, and the public of critical weather conditions that could lead to the rapid spread of wildfires. These warnings are issued to ensure that firefighting agencies are prepared and can take necessary precautions, and that the public is aware to avoid any activities that could accidentally start a fire, such as using fireworks, campfires, or outdoor equipment that could generate sparks.
The key conditions that can prompt a red flag warning include strong winds, low humidity, high temperatures, and dry vegetation.
“A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior,” the NWS explained.
Some of these red flag warnings are in place until this evening, while others will last into Saturday.
“The combination of gusty winds and low humidity can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity. Outdoor burning is not recommended. Despite recent cool weather and high humidity, we are expecting a widespread and prolonged offshore wind event which will likely dry fuels out very quickly given their volatility over the past several weeks,” the NWS San Francisco office warned in the notice.
Humidity is expected to drop as low as 9 percent in parts of California, with 25 to 35 mph winds and gusts up to 50 mph. Humidity is expected to be higher but still low in the Great Plains at around 20 percent, with similar wind speeds.
“Today will have very high to extreme fire danger conditions with winds gusting 35 to near 45 mph west and north of the Des Moines metro, and 25 to 35 mph to the south and east,” the National Weather Service Des Moines said. “Relative humidity values during the afternoon hours will be quite low, ranging from 15 to 25 percent. The greatest fire danger will be in areas of dry vegetation and cropland where harvest has yet to be completed.”
At the same time, several states in the West, Midwest, and Northeast are in the grips of freeze warnings and frost advisories.
“Low temperatures are expected to drop into the 30s and 40s for a majority of the eastern U.S. outside of the Florida Peninsula, but even northern parts of the Sunshine State may need to break out the sweaters the next few mornings,” the NWS said.
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