Red Flag Warning Issued for Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas Due to Critical Fire Risk

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Goodland, KS, has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert, which replaces a previous Fire Weather Watch, indicates that a combination of strong winds and low relative humidity will create an environment where any fires that develop could spread rapidly and uncontrollably.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts the following geographic regions and fire weather zones:

• Colorado: Kit Carson (Zone 253) and Cheyenne (Zone 254) counties.
• Kansas: Wallace (Zone 027), Logan (Zone 028), Greeley (Zone 041), and Wichita (Zone 042) counties.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are advised to take immediate precautions to prevent wildfire starts:

• Strictly comply with all local burn bans and outdoor burning regulations.
• Avoid driving or parking vehicles on dry grass or brush.
• Ensure vehicle maintenance is up to date, specifically checking brakes and tires.
• Secure tow chains to ensure they do not drag on the pavement and create sparks.
• Never toss lit cigarettes or other smoking materials onto the ground.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: Southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 45 mph. The strongest gusts are most likely in Cheyenne County, Colorado, and Greeley County, Kansas.
• Humidity: Relative humidity levels are forecast to drop as low as 13 percent.
• Fire Behavior: Fire behavior is expected to be unpredictable. Any ignitions may rapidly grow and spread out of control due to the wind and dry air.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective from 11:00 AM MST (Noon CST) to 5:00 PM MST (6:00 PM CST) on Wednesday, February 18. Winds are forecast to begin increasing around 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM MST. Additionally, residents should be prepared for a cold front early Thursday morning, which will bring a shift to strong northwest winds.