Red Flag Warning Issued for Southwest and Central Kansas Through Thursday Evening

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Dodge City has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions, specifically citing strong winds and low relative humidity. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch for the region.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts a wide range of fire weather zones in Kansas, including the following counties:

• Trego, Ellis, Scott, Lane, Ness, and Rush
• Hamilton, Kearny, Finney, Hodgeman, Pawnee, and Stafford
• Stanton, Grant, Haskell, Gray, Ford, Edwards, Kiowa, and Pratt
• Morton, Stevens, Seward, Meade, Clark, Comanche, and Barber

What You Should Do

Residents in the warning area are advised that outdoor burning is not recommended. A Red Flag Warning indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. Any fire that develops under these conditions will catch and spread quickly. Residents should prepare for extreme fire behavior and exercise extreme caution with any potential ignition sources.

Expected Conditions

Weather conditions are expected to reach critical thresholds on Thursday:

• Winds: Southwest winds ranging from 20 to 30 mph, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph.
• Relative Humidity: Humidity levels are forecast to drop as low as 12 percent.
• Temperature: Warm temperatures combined with dry air and wind will contribute to hazardous conditions.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective on Thursday, March 12, from 1:00 PM CDT (noon MDT) until 8:00 PM CDT (7:00 PM MDT).