Red Flag Warning Issued for El Paso, Pueblo, Huerfano, and Las Animas Counties Through Tuesday

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch and is effective for two distinct periods on Monday, February 16, and Tuesday, February 17.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts the following regions and Fire Weather Zones (226, 227, 228, 229, and 230):

• Northern El Paso County: Including Monument and Black Forest
• Southern El Paso County: Including Fort Carson and Colorado Springs
• Pueblo County: Including Pueblo
• Huerfano County: Including Walsenburg
• Western Las Animas County: Including Trinidad and Thatcher

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas should prepare for critical fire weather conditions. A Red Flag Warning indicates that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Under these conditions, fires will catch and spread rapidly and erratically. Outdoor burning is highly discouraged.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: For Monday, west to southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph are expected with gusts reaching 40 mph. On Tuesday, winds will increase from the southwest to 30 to 40 mph, with gusts reaching up to 60 mph.
• Relative Humidity: Humidity levels are expected to drop as low as 10 percent.
• Impacts: Elevated fire danger is expected across all mentioned zones.

Timeline

The alert covers two specific windows:

• Monday, Feb. 16: From 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM MST.
• Tuesday, Feb. 17: From 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM MST.