Red Flag Warning Issued for Pueblo and Western Las Animas Counties; Gusts Up to 65 MPH Expected

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. The alert, issued by NWS Pueblo CO, is triggered by the combination of strong winds and low relative humidity. A Fire Weather Watch has also been issued for the subsequent period on Thursday.

Affected Areas

The warning and watch cover Fire Weather Zones 228 and 230, specifically:

• Pueblo County: Including the city of Pueblo.
• Western Las Animas County: Including Trinidad and Thatcher.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas must exercise extreme caution to avoid fire starts. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. Under these conditions, fires will catch and spread rapidly and erratically. Residents should listen for later forecasts and remain prepared for extreme fire behavior.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: West winds of 30 to 40 mph are expected, with gusts reaching as high as 65 mph on Wednesday. On Thursday, west winds will range from 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.
• Humidity: Relative humidity levels are forecast to drop as low as 10 percent.
• Impacts: The combination of high wind speeds, low humidity, and warm temperatures will facilitate rapid and erratic fire spread.

Timeline

• Initial Red Flag Warning: In effect until 7:00 PM MST Tuesday evening.
• Second Red Flag Warning: Effective from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM MST Wednesday, February 18.
• Fire Weather Watch: Effective from Thursday morning through Thursday evening.