Red Flag Warning Issued for Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois Due to Critical Fire Danger
This alert is no longer in effect.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).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of Iowa and Illinois as strong winds and low humidity create conditions for extreme fire behavior through Wednesday evening.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Quad Cities
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 Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Quad Cities has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert, which replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch, indicates that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and dry vegetation has created a significant risk for extreme fire behavior.
Affected Areas
The warning covers a broad region across eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois, including the following counties:
- Iowa: Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque, Benton, Linn, Jones, Jackson, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, Clinton, Muscatine, Scott, Keokuk, Washington, Louisa, Jefferson, Henry, Des Moines, Van Buren, and Lee.
- Illinois: Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Carroll, Whiteside, Rock Island, Henry, Bureau, Putnam, Mercer, Henderson, and Warren.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are strongly advised to avoid all outdoor burning. Any fire that develops under these conditions will catch and spread rapidly. The National Weather Service warns that fire behavior is expected to be extreme. Residents should prepare for hazardous conditions and monitor local updates.
Expected Conditions
Weather conditions are expected to reach critical thresholds today:
- Winds: Southwest winds between 20 to 30 mph, with gusts reaching up to 50 mph.
- Relative Humidity: Levels are expected to drop as low as 15 percent.
- Hazards: Plentiful dry vegetation combined with high winds and low humidity will facilitate the rapid spread of any fires.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective from 10:00 AM CST this morning, Wednesday, February 18, through 8:00 PM CST this evening.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
Related Weather Alerts
All Weather Alerts →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this NWS weather alert.