Red Flag Warning Issued for South Plains and Texas Panhandle Through Tuesday Evening

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Lubbock, TX, has issued a Red Flag Warning for the far southern Texas Panhandle, the South Plains, and western portions of the Rolling Plains. This alert indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following counties in Texas:

• Parmer
• Castro
• Swisher
• Briscoe
• Bailey
• Lamb
• Hale
• Floyd
• Motley
• Cochran
• Hockley
• Lubbock
• Crosby
• Dickens
• Yoakum
• Terry
• Lynn

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are strongly discouraged from engaging in any outdoor burning. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Any fires that develop under these conditions can spread rapidly. Residents should prepare for critical fire weather and monitor local conditions.

Expected Conditions

• Wind: West-southwest winds between 20-35 mph, with gusts reaching up to 45 mph.
• Humidity: Relative humidity levels are expected to drop as low as 9 percent.
• Fuels: Vegetation and other fuels are currently dry, increasing the risk of ignition and spread.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective immediately and will remain in place until 7:00 PM CST on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.