Red Flag Warning Issued for Southeast Colorado: High Winds and Low Humidity Create Extreme Fire Risk
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Red Flag Warning for Southeast Colorado through Wednesday evening, citing wind gusts up to 65 mph and humidity as low as 11 percent.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Southeast Colorado
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Pueblo CO
Fire-weather notices describe conditions that can support rapid fire spread; they do not report that a fire is present. Check local emergency sources for any active incident.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Southeast Colorado.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert signifies that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures is creating an environment where extreme fire behavior is likely. The previously issued Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect as conditions have escalated to a warning level.
Affected Areas
The warning covers several counties and fire weather zones in Southeast Colorado, including:
- Crowley County: Including Ordway
- Otero County: Including La Junta and Western Comanche Grasslands
- Eastern Las Animas County: Including Pinon Canyon
- Kiowa County: Including Eads
- Bent County: Including Las Animas
- Prowers County: Including Lamar
- Baca County: Including Springfield and Eastern Comanche Grasslands
- Fire Weather Zones: 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, and 237
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are urged to avoid all activities that could potentially start a wildfire. Under these conditions, fires will catch and spread rapidly and erratically. Residents should prepare for hazardous conditions and remain vigilant.
Expected Conditions
- Winds: For Tuesday, west winds of 30 to 40 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 65 mph. For Wednesday, west winds will range from 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.
- Relative Humidity: Levels are expected to drop as low as 11 percent.
- Impacts: The combination of high-velocity winds and extremely dry air will contribute to extreme fire behavior.
Timeline
- Tuesday Alert: The first Red Flag Warning is in effect until 7:00 PM MST this evening, February 17.
- Wednesday Alert: A second Red Flag Warning is scheduled from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM MST Wednesday, February 18.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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