Red Flag Warning Issued for Southwest Texas Panhandle Through Tuesday Evening

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a Red Flag Warning for the southwest Texas Panhandle. This alert, which replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch, indicates that critical fire weather conditions are imminent or occurring due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts the following geographic regions and counties:

• Hartley
• Oldham
• Potter
• Deaf Smith
• Randall
• Armstrong
• Palo Duro Canyon

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas should avoid all activities that promote open flames or sparks. Outdoor burning is not recommended. Any fires that develop under these conditions will have the potential to spread rapidly and become difficult to control.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: West winds ranging from 15 to 25 mph, with gusts reaching up to 35 mph.
• Relative Humidity: Levels as low as 8 percent.
• Temperatures: Expected to reach the low 80s.
• Hazard Levels: Fuels (ERC) are at the 90th+ percentile (5 out of 5), and the fire environment is rated at 7 out of 10.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective from 11:00 AM CST on Tuesday, February 24, and is scheduled to expire at 7:00 PM CST on Tuesday evening.