Red Flag Warning Issued for Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles Due to Critical Fire Conditions
This alert is no longer in effect.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).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, effective Friday, as strong winds and low humidity create a high risk for rapid fire spread.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Amarillo
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 Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. This alert, which replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch, indicates that critical fire weather conditions are expected due to a combination of strong winds and low relative humidity.
Affected Areas
The following geographic regions are included in the warning area:
- Oklahoma: Cimarron County.
- Texas: Dallam, Sherman, Hartley, Moore, Hutchinson, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Deaf Smith, Randall, and Armstrong counties, including Palo Duro Canyon.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are urged to avoid activities that promote open flames and sparks. Outdoor burning is not recommended, as any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Residents should remain prepared and monitor local conditions for potential fire growth.
Expected Conditions
- Winds: South winds ranging from 25 to 35 mph, with gusts reaching up to 50 mph.
- Relative Humidity: Levels are expected to drop as low as 8 percent.
- Temperatures: Forecasted to be in the lower 40s.
- Fire Environment: The fire environment is rated at 5 out of 10, with fuel (ERC) levels in the 70th-89th percentile.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is in effect from 12:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
Related Weather Alerts
All Weather Alerts →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this NWS weather alert.