Red Flag Warning Issued for Yoakum, Terry, and Lynn Counties Through Wednesday Evening

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Lubbock TX has issued a Red Flag Warning, which is currently in effect. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch, indicating that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will develop shortly.

Affected Areas

The primary geographic areas affected include Yoakum, Terry, and Lynn counties. The warning also encompasses the far southern Texas Panhandle, the South Plains, and portions of the Rolling Plains.

What You Should Do

Residents in the warning area are strongly advised to discourage all outdoor burning. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Any fires that develop under these conditions can spread rapidly. Residents should prepare for critical fire weather and monitor local conditions.

Expected Conditions

Critical fire weather is driven by the following factors provided by the National Weather Service:

• Wind: For Wednesday, southwest winds are expected at 25 to 35 mph, with gusts reaching up to 45 mph. (Tuesday conditions included southwest winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph).
• Humidity: Relative humidity levels are expected to drop as low as 9 percent on Wednesday (following levels as low as 13 percent on Tuesday).
• Fuels: Vegetation and fuels are currently classified as normal to dry.
• Impacts: The combination of these factors means any fire starts will likely exhibit rapid growth and extreme behavior.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is specifically in effect from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM CST on Wednesday, February 18. The overall alert period issued by the agency began on February 17.