Red Flag Warning Issued for Portions of Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska Due to Extreme Fire Risk

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Goodland, Kansas, has issued a Red Flag Warning due to the combination of strong winds and low relative humidity. This alert indicates that any fires that ignite will lead to extreme fire spread. This warning replaces the previously issued Fire Weather Watch.

Affected Areas

The warning covers multiple counties across three states:

• Colorado: Yuma, Kit Carson, and Cheyenne counties.
• Kansas: Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Norton, Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan, Graham, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Greeley, and Wichita counties.
• Nebraska: Dundy, Hitchcock, and Red Willow counties.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are urged to take the following precautions:

• Comply with all local burn bans and regulations.
• Avoid driving vehicles on dry grass or brush.
• Maintain vehicle brakes and tires and ensure tow chains are secured to avoid dragging, which can create sparks.
• Never toss lit cigarettes onto the ground.
• Be prepared to evacuate if fire or smoke is heading your way, or if ordered to do so by local officials.

Expected Conditions

Weather conditions will support extremely dangerous and erratic fire behavior. Any fires that develop will rapidly grow and spread out of control.

• Winds: West-southwest winds of 30 to 40 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 65 mph. Winds will shift to the west behind a cold front on Tuesday afternoon.
• Relative Humidity: Humidity levels are expected to drop to around 10 percent.
• Visibility: Blowing dust may occur near open fields or other source regions, causing reductions in visibility and poor air quality.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective from 10:00 AM MST (11:00 AM CST) to 8:00 PM MST (9:00 PM CST) on Tuesday, February 17.