Red Flag Warning Issued for Iroquois and Ford Counties Through Wednesday Evening
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Iroquois and Ford counties until 8 PM CST due to critical fire weather conditions and high wind gusts.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- East Central Illinois
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Chicago IL
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 East Central Illinois.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Chicago has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is currently in effect to address critical fire weather conditions. The alert was issued by the NWS Chicago IL office and remains active through this evening.
Affected Areas
The warning impacts the following geographic regions in Illinois:
- Iroquois County
- Ford County
What You Should Do
Residents are advised that outdoor burning is not recommended at this time. A Red Flag Warning signifies that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent. Because a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior, any fire that develops will likely catch and spread quickly. Residents should prepare for hazardous conditions and monitor local updates.
Expected Conditions
Weather parameters contributing to this warning include:
- Winds: Southwest winds ranging from 15 to 25 mph, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph.
- Relative Humidity: Humidity levels are expected to drop as low as 19 percent.
- Fire Behavior: The environment is conducive to rapid fire spread and extreme behavior if an ignition occurs.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective immediately and is scheduled to expire at 8:00 PM CST this evening, February 18, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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