Red Flag Warning Issued for Upper Arkansas River Valley: Critical Fire Conditions Expected Wednesday
This alert is no longer in effect.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 has issued a Red Flag Warning for Lake and Chaffee counties due to high winds and low humidity, creating conditions where fires can spread rapidly.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Upper Arkansas River Valley, Colorado
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Pueblo
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 Upper Arkansas River Valley, Colorado.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Upper Arkansas River Valley. This alert signifies that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures.
Affected Areas
The warning specifically covers Fire Weather Zone 220, which includes the following geographic regions in Colorado:
- Upper Arkansas River Valley
- Lake County
- Chaffee County
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are advised to exercise extreme caution with any outdoor burning. Because fires will catch and spread quickly under these conditions, the NWS recommends that individuals prepare for potential fire hazards and avoid activities that could spark a blaze.
Expected Conditions
Weather conditions in the valley are expected to reach critical thresholds for fire danger:
- Winds: Northwest winds between 15 to 25 mph, with gusts reaching as high as 45 mph.
- Relative Humidity: Levels are expected to drop as low as 13 percent.
- Impacts: Any fires that start will likely spread rapidly and be difficult to control.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective starting at 1:00 PM MDT this afternoon, March 11, 2026. The alert is scheduled to remain in effect until 7:00 PM MDT this evening.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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