Red Flag Warning Issued for Portions of Northwest Iowa and Southeast South Dakota

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity. This alert is issued by the NWS Sioux Falls SD office and indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following regions:

• Iowa: Lyon, O’Brien, and Buena Vista counties.
• South Dakota: Jerauld, Sanborn, Hanson, McCook, and Minnehaha counties.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are advised that any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Residents should prepare for hazardous fire conditions.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: Northwest winds between 20 to 30 mph, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph.
• Relative Humidity: Levels are expected to drop as low as 20 percent.
• Impacts: Critical fire weather conditions are expected to facilitate rapid fire growth.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective immediately as of February 27, 2026, and is scheduled to expire at 6:00 PM CST this evening.