Red Flag Warning Issued for North-Central and Northeast Illinois Due to Critical Fire Conditions
This alert is no longer in effect.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 several Illinois counties as high winds and low humidity create an environment for rapid fire spread through Wednesday evening.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- North-Central and Northeast 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 North-Central and Northeast Illinois.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Chicago has issued a Red Flag Warning for north-central and northeast Illinois. This alert, which replaces the previously issued Fire Weather Watch, indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following counties in Illinois:
- Winnebago
- Boone
- McHenry
- Ogle
- Lee
- De Kalb
- Kane
- La Salle
- Kendall
- Grundy
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are strongly advised against any outdoor burning. Under these conditions, any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Residents should prepare for these hazardous conditions and monitor local updates.
Expected Conditions
- Winds: West winds sustained between 20 to 30 mph, with gusts reaching 40 to 45 mph.
- Relative Humidity: Levels are expected to drop as low as 15 to 20 percent.
- Impacts: The combination of high gusts and low humidity will facilitate the rapid spread of any fires that ignite.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is in effect from 10:00 AM CST this morning, February 18, until 8:00 PM CST this evening.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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