Red Flag Warning Issued for Southwest Kansas: Critical Wildfire Danger Expected Wednesday

Alert Details

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

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following counties and fire weather zones in Kansas:

• Scott
• Lane
• Ness
• Hodgeman
• Ford
• Edwards
• Kiowa
• Clark
• Comanche

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are strongly advised to avoid all outdoor burning. Any fire that develops under these conditions will catch and spread quickly. Residents should prepare for extreme fire behavior and monitor local updates.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: Southwest winds between 20 to 30 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 45 mph.
• Humidity: Relative humidity levels are forecast to drop as low as 11 percent.
• Impacts: The combination of high winds and dry air will facilitate rapid fire growth and difficult containment for any new ignitions.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective from 11:00 AM CST (10:00 AM MST) on Wednesday, February 18, and will remain in effect until 8:00 PM CST (7:00 PM MST) Wednesday evening.