Red Flag Warning Issued for Central Iowa: Critical Fire Weather Conditions Expected Wednesday
This alert is no longer in effect.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 central, north central, and south central Iowa due to strong winds and low humidity, creating a high risk for rapid fire growth.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Central, North Central, and South Central Iowa
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Des Moines IA
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, North Central, and South Central Iowa.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert, which replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch, indicates that hazardous conditions conducive to extreme fire behavior are imminent or occurring.
Affected Areas
The warning covers a broad geographic scope including all of central, north central, and south central Iowa. Affected counties include:
- North Central: Emmet, Kossuth, Winnebago, Worth, Hancock, Cerro Gordo, Wright, Franklin, Butler, Bremer, Humboldt.
- Central: Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Hardin, Grundy, Black Hawk, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Tama, Audubon, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek.
- South Central: Cass, Adair, Madison, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Adams, Union, Clarke, Lucas, Monroe, Wapello, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur, Wayne, Appanoose, and Davis.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are advised that any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. A Red Flag Warning means that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Residents should prepare for these conditions and avoid activities that could spark a fire.
Expected Conditions
- Wind: West winds sustained between 25 to 35 mph, with gusts reaching 40 to 50 mph.
- Humidity: Minimum relative humidity values are expected to drop between 12% and 22%.
- Fire Hazard: Strong, gusty winds combined with very low humidity and cured fuels will lead to conditions conducive for very fast fire growth.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM CST on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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