Red Flag Warning Issued for North-Central Arkansas: Dangerous Wildfire Conditions Expected Thursday
This alert is no longer in effect.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 parts of north-central Arkansas effective Thursday, citing high winds and low humidity that could lead to rapid fire spread.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- North-Central Arkansas
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Little Rock
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 Arkansas.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Little Rock has issued a Red Flag Warning for north-central Arkansas. This alert indicates that critical fire weather conditions are expected, creating a high risk for extreme fire behavior.
Affected Areas
The warning impacts the following geographic regions and counties:
- Marion County
- Baxter County
- Boone County (Except Southwest; including Higher Elevations)
- Newton County (Higher and Lower Elevations)
- Searcy County (Lower Elevations; Northwest Higher Elevations; and Eastern, Central, and Southern Higher Elevations)
What You Should Do
Residents within the warning area are urged to exercise extreme caution. Outdoor burning is not recommended as any fires that develop could spread rapidly. A Red Flag Warning means that the combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to dangerous fire conditions. Residents should prepare accordingly and monitor local updates.
Expected Conditions
Weather conditions contributing to the hazard include:
- Winds: South and southwest winds ranging from 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
- Humidity: Relative humidity levels are forecast to drop into the 20th percentile.
- Hazard: Rapid fire spread is likely if ignition occurs.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective from 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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