Red Flag Warning Issued for Eastern Las Animas County and Pinon Canyon Through Thursday

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Red Flag Warning due to critical fire weather conditions. The alert, designated with the NWS code RFWPUB, was issued because of the combination of strong gusty winds and low relative humidity.

Affected Areas

The warning specifically impacts Fire Weather Zone 233, which includes:

• Eastern Las Animas County
• Pinon Canyon

What You Should Do

Residents and visitors in the affected area are urged to exercise extreme caution. You should avoid all activities that could potentially start a wildfire, such as outdoor burning or using equipment that creates sparks. Under these conditions, fires will catch and spread rapidly and erratically. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: For Wednesday, west winds are expected between 25 to 35 mph with gusts reaching up to 55 mph. On Thursday, west winds will continue at 15 to 25 mph.
• Relative Humidity: Humidity levels are expected to drop as low as 10 percent.
• Fire Behavior: The combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures will contribute to extreme fire behavior.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning covers two distinct periods:

• Wednesday, February 18: The first warning remains in effect until 7:00 PM MST this evening.
• Thursday, February 19: A second warning is in effect from 10:00 AM MST to 7:00 PM MST.