Red flag weather warnings are in place in five states on Easter Sunday, with concerns raised about “rapid fire spread” in New Mexico and fires in other states.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued the warnings for New Mexico, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado.
It defines a red flag warning as one that “means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly.”
“A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will increase potential for fire growth,” the service says.
“Critical fire weather conditions” are expected in New Mexico because of strong winds and low relative humidity, the NWS reported.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images
In Kansas, wind and low relative humidity “along and west of the Colorado/Kansas border” could lead to fires. Residents in affected areas have been advised to avoid outdoor burning as “any fires that start may rapidly grow and spread out of control.”
“Any ignitions will have the potential to burn out of control and exhibit extreme wildfire behavior in these conditions,” the NWS reported. Goodland and Dodge City may in particular be affected by the weather conditions.
“Critical fire weather conditions” are also expected in Texas, where people are advised to “avoid activities that promote open flames and sparks,” the office said. These conditions have also been caused by winds and low humidity.
Similar warnings are in place in Oklahoma because of “breezy southwest winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels” in Harper County.
In Colorado, warnings have been issued in areas including Lincoln County and El Paso County.
Earlier this month, NWS meteorologist Bill Goodman told Newsweek that dry air mass and windy conditions can contribute to the spread of wildfires, especially in early spring following wildfires across northern and central Virginia.
“Every early spring before things green up, when it doesn’t rain for a period of time, some of that dries out very quickly,” Goodman said. “You add gusty winds and low relative humidity on top of that [and] if anything gets ignited it can spread more easily.”
Heath Hockenberry, the national fire weather program manager for the NWS, previously explained red flag warnings to Newsweek: “Red flag warnings are ‘fire environment’ products that combine weather conditions and also fuel conditions,” he said. “The fuel conditions include how dry the vegetation is and how effectively the fuels can burn.
“So when a Red Flag Warning is issued, it means that these combined conditions are favorable for fast-moving and uncontrollable fires. Red flag warnings do not attempt to predict where a fire is, where it will start, or exactly where it will move.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.