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

Alert Details

A Red Flag Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa, TX. The alert is in effect due to critical fire weather conditions including low relative humidity and strong winds.

Affected Areas

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

• Southeast New Mexico: Sacramento Foothills, 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, Eastern Culberson, Reeves, Brewster, and Presidio counties.
• Specific Corridors: Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor, Marfa Plateau, Davis Mountains, and the Chisos Basin.

What You Should Do

Outdoor burning is strictly not recommended during this period. Residents are urged to prepare for critical fire weather conditions. Any fires that develop under these conditions will likely spread rapidly and become difficult to control.

Expected Conditions

• Winds: North winds between 20 to 30 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 45 mph.
• Humidity: Relative humidity levels are forecast to drop as low as 7 percent.
• Fire Danger: The Red Flag Threat Index (RFTI) is at a critical level of 6. Fuels are currently in the 70th to 89th percentile for dryness.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective immediately and will remain in place until 9:00 PM CDT (8:00 PM MDT) this evening, March 15.