Red Flag Warning Issued for Far West Texas and Southern New Mexico Through Sunday Evening

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch and indicates that hazardous fire conditions are either occurring or imminent.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following geographic regions:

• Far West Texas: El Paso and Hudspeth counties.
• Southern New Mexico: Southwest Mountains, South Central Lowlands, and the Southern Rio Grande Valley.
• National Forests: Specific risks have been identified for the Gila and Lincoln National Forests due to the presence of dead fuels and rapid drying.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are advised to take the following precautions:

• Avoid Outdoor Burning: Outdoor burning is strictly not recommended due to the high risk of fire ignition.
• Exercise Caution: Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.
• Prepare: Be ready to respond if a fire starts in your vicinity.

Expected Conditions

A passing upper-level disturbance and an approaching strong cold front are driving the following conditions:

• Winds: Northwest winds between 15 to 25 mph, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph.
• Humidity: Relative humidity values are expected to drop as low as 7 percent.
• Fire Behavior: A combination of strong winds, low humidity, and warm temperatures will contribute to extreme fire behavior. The Experimental RFTI (Red Flag Threat Index) is rated at 3 to 4, or “Near Critical.”

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective from 11:00 AM MDT on Sunday, March 15, through 8:00 PM MDT this evening. Winds are expected to shift northwesterly then north later in the day as the cold front arrives.