Red Flag Warning Issued for West Central Florida Due to Elevated Fire Danger
This alert is no longer in effect.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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A Red Flag Warning is in effect for Sumter, Levy, Citrus, and Hernando counties this Sunday as low humidity and gusty winds create conditions for rapid fire spread.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- West Central Florida
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin
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 West Central Florida.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay Ruskin FL has issued a Red Flag Warning due to critically low humidity and gusty winds. This alert indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent. Additionally, a Fire Weather Watch has been issued for the following day.
Affected Areas
The warning and subsequent watch affect the following geographic regions in Florida:
- Sumter
- Coastal Levy
- Inland Levy
- Inland Citrus
- Inland Hernando
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas should exercise extreme caution as any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. For those under the Fire Weather Watch, continue to monitor local forecasts for updated warnings and prepare for potential fire hazards.
Expected Conditions
- Winds: Northwest winds between 10 to 15 mph, with gusts reaching up to 25 mph.
- Relative Humidity: Levels are expected to drop as low as 28 percent.
- Fire Potential: A combination of breezy northerly winds, low humidity, and dry fuels will result in elevated fire danger and moderate significant fire potential.
Timeline
- Red Flag Warning: In effect from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM EST on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
- Fire Weather Watch: In effect from Monday morning, February 23, 2026, through Monday evening.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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