Red Flag Warning Issued for Southeast New Mexico and West Texas Due to Critical Fire Danger

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa TX has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch and is triggered by a combination of strong winds and extremely low relative humidity.

Affected Areas

The warning covers a broad region across Southeast New Mexico and West Texas, including:

• Southeast New Mexico: Sacramento Foothills and Guadalupe Mountains, Chaves County Plains, Eddy Plains, and Lea County.
• West Texas: Gaines, Dawson, Borden, Scurry, Andrews, Martin, Howard, Mitchell, Loving, Winkler, Ector, Midland, Glasscock, Ward, Crane, Upton, Reagan, Pecos, Terrell, Guadalupe Mountains (including elevations above 7000 feet), Delaware Mountains, Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor, Eastern Culberson County, Reeves County Plains, Chinati Mountains, Marfa Plateau, Davis Mountains and Foothills, Central and Lower Brewster County, Chisos Basin, and Presidio Valley.

What You Should Do

Residents in the affected areas are advised that any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is strictly not recommended. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent. Residents should remain vigilant and prepared for potential fire growth.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: West to northwest winds between 25 to 35 mph are expected, with gusts reaching 45 to 55 mph. Winds are forecast to shift to the north and northeast during the afternoon.
• Relative Humidity: Levels are expected to drop as low as 8 percent.
• Fire Environment: The Red Flag Threat Index (RFTI) is rated between 6 and 8, categorized as critical to extreme. Fuel dryness (ERC) is in the 70th-89th percentile.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective from 12:00 PM CDT (11:00 AM MDT) on Sunday, March 15, until 9:00 PM CDT (8:00 PM MDT) Sunday evening.