Red Flag Warning Issued for Yuma and Kit Carson Counties 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This alert is no longer in effect.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).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of eastern Colorado as high winds and extremely low humidity create a high risk for rapid fire spread through Saturday.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Eastern Colorado
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Goodland
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 Eastern Colorado.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Goodland, KS, has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. The alert is triggered by a combination of strong winds and very low relative humidity, which can lead to unpredictable and dangerous fire behavior.
Affected Areas
The warning specifically impacts the following regions in Colorado:
- Yuma (Fire Weather Zone 252)
- Kit Carson County (Fire Weather Zone 253)
What You Should Do
Residents and visitors in the affected areas are urged to take the following precautions:
- Comply with all local burn bans and fire regulations.
- Avoid driving vehicles on dry grass or brush.
- Maintain vehicle brakes and tires; ensure tow chains are secured to prevent dragging and sparking.
- Never toss lit cigarettes onto the ground.
- Be aware that any fires that develop may grow rapidly and spread out of control.
Expected Conditions
Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate over a two-day period:
- Winds: Southwesterly winds of 10 to 20 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 35 mph each day.
- Humidity: Relative humidity levels are forecast to drop as low as 11 percent on Friday and as low as 9 percent on Saturday.
- Temperature: Temperatures are expected to rise into the 70s on Friday, with even warmer conditions anticipated for Saturday.
- Note: Increased cloud cover on Saturday could potentially impact wind magnitudes; however, without cloud cover, winds may be stronger than currently forecast.
Timeline
Two distinct warning periods have been established:
- Friday, March 13: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM MDT
- Saturday, March 14: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM MDT
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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