Red Flag Warning Issued for Central and Southern Alabama Due to Critical Fire Weather Conditions
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for numerous Alabama counties through 6:00 PM CST today, citing low humidity and gusty winds that create extreme fire risks.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Central and Southern Alabama
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Birmingham AL
Fire-weather notices describe conditions that can support rapid fire spread; they do not report that a fire is present. Check local emergency sources for any active incident.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Central and Southern Alabama.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a Red Flag Warning for the southern half of Central Alabama. This alert indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures.
Affected Areas
The warning covers a broad geographic area including the following Alabama counties:
- Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Shelby, Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Marengo, Dallas, Autauga, Lowndes, Elmore, Montgomery, Macon, Bullock, Lee, Russell, Pike, and Barbour.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are strongly advised to avoid all outdoor burning. The dry air mass and windy conditions mean that any fires that start could spread rapidly and exhibit extreme behavior. Additionally, the National Weather Service warns that any current wildfires could worsen significantly under these conditions. Residents should remain vigilant and prepare for potential fire hazards.
Expected Conditions
- Winds: Northwest winds between 10 to 15 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 25 mph.
- Relative Humidity: Levels are forecast to drop as low as 22 percent.
- Hazards: The combination of dry air and wind will result in critical fire weather conditions.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective immediately and will remain in place until 6:00 PM CST this evening, February 23, 2026. The onset of the most critical conditions is expected to begin at 11:00 AM CST.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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