Red Flag Warning Issued for Western and Central Nebraska Due to Critical Fire Conditions

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in North Platte has issued a Red Flag Warning (NWS Alert Code: RFWLBF) for critical fire weather conditions. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch and is triggered by a combination of low humidity, near-record warmth, and gusty winds.

Affected Areas

The warning covers several fire weather zones across western and central Nebraska, including:

• Eastern Panhandle/Crescent Lake NWR (Fire Weather Zone 204)
• Sandhills/Valentine NWR/Nebraska National Forest (Fire Weather Zone 206)
• Niobrara Valley/Fort Niobrara NWR/Samuel R McKelvie National Forest (Fire Weather Zone 208)
• Frenchman Basin (Fire Weather Zone 210)

What You Should Do

Residents and visitors in the affected areas are advised to prepare for critical fire weather. Any fire starts will have a high potential to spread rapidly and will be difficult to control. Extreme fire behavior is possible under these conditions. Outdoor burning should be avoided, and precautions should be taken to prevent accidental ignitions.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: Westerly winds between 15 to 25 mph, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph.
• Relative Humidity: Levels as low as 11 percent.
• Temperatures: Near-record warmth with highs reaching the mid to upper 70s.
• Lightning: No lightning is expected during this event.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is in effect on Monday, March 9, from 11:00 AM CDT (10:00 AM MDT) until 8:00 PM CDT (7:00 PM MDT).