Red Flag Warning Issued for Portions of Missouri and Kansas Due to Critical Fire Conditions

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Kansas City/Pleasant Hill has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity. This alert signifies that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent, driven by a combination of strong winds, low humidity, and warm temperatures.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts multiple regions across Kansas and Missouri, specifically:

• Kansas: Linn County (Fire Weather Zone 060).
• Missouri: Linn, Macon, Carroll, Chariton, Randolph, Lafayette, Saline, Howard, Cass, Johnson, Pettis, Cooper, Bates, and Henry counties (Fire Weather Zones 024, 025, 031, 032, 033, 038, 039, 040, 043, 044, 045, 046, 053, and 054).

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are strongly advised to avoid outdoor burning. Any fire that develops under these conditions will catch and spread quickly, potentially leading to extreme fire behavior. Preparation is recommended to ensure safety in the event of a fire start.

Expected Conditions

• Wind: Gusty southwesterly winds are expected to reach speeds of up to 30 mph.
• Humidity: Relative humidity values are forecast to fall between 15% and 25% during the afternoon hours.
• Impacts: The combination of dry air and high winds will facilitate the rapid spread of any fires.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is in effect from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM CST on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The alert was originally issued on February 18 at 1:16 PM CST.