Red flag warnings active in central US as winds, record temps elevate fire risk
Red flag warnings were active in several states across the central U.S. on Tuesday as forecasters say possible record-setting temperatures and high winds ahead of a cold front elevate the risk of wildfires in the drought-stricken region.
Across the Great Plains, advisories warning of warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds were in place throughout eastern Colorado, western and northern Kansas, western Oklahoma and parts of the Texas Panhandle. In the Midwest, east-central Illinois, including the city of Chicago, and a large swath of central Indiana were under fire warnings.
From northern Texas to Wisconsin and West Virginia, afternoon highs were forecast to reach the high 70s and 80s – some 20 to 35 degrees above average for this time of year and on pace to break records, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
The soaring temperatures, which come as drought conditions persist across the central U.S., prompted warnings from weather officials urging people not to throw cigarettes or matches on the ground and to extinguish fires with plenty of water.
"Record warmth, strong southwest winds, and dry conditions will allow any grass or brush fires to spread out of control," the weather service office in Chicago said in a post on X. "Report any fires promptly to local emergency management officials."
Temperatures to soar in Northeast triggering more fire warnings
Through the rest of the week, as a cold front pushes across the central U.S. from the west, the warm front raising temperatures in the Plains and Midwest regions will expand eastward.
By Halloween, temperatures could reach record levels across the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Afternoon highs in the lower 80s are expected in cities such as Washington and Philadelphia, more than 15 degrees above the historical average, according to AccuWeather.
A factor in the East's rising temperatures is a lack of rainfall, which is on pace to make October the driest month on record in Philadelphia and New York City, neither of which has received measurable amounts of rainfall since September, AccuWeather said. New York City was placed under a red flag warning Saturday amid gusty winds and low humidity.
While temperatures ratchet up in the East, a cold front will relieve the central U.S. with cool weather, bringing afternoon highs down to the 50s and 60s.
Parts of every state in the Plains and Midwest regions are suffering drought conditions, with some swaths of land afflicted with severe and extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Most states across the country are experiencing abnormally dry conditions.
Wildfires raging across the country
Thirteen large active wildfires have burned over a million acres of land across the country, from California to Massachusetts, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
In central Colorado, a blaze broke out in Teller County and led to the evacuation of over 700 households and school closures. The fire, which was first reported Monday afternoon, burned nearly 100 acres northwest of Colorado Springs, according to the Teller County Sheriff's Office. The cause remains unknown.
In Oklahoma, a fire prompted evacuation orders for nearby homes in Logan County, north of Oklahoma City. All fire personnel in the county responded to the blaze and prevented it from spreading into neighboring Payne County. Elsewhere in the state, authorities battled at least three other fires that have burned more than 13,000 acres of land, the National Interagency Fire Center said.
In Massachusetts, at least 47 active brush fires have been reported, the state's department of fire services said in a statement Monday, adding that 18 were reported in a 24-hour period. Authorities in Millbury, a town just south of Worcester, said a woman was found dead Saturday in an encampment where a small brush fire had originated. Officials have not determined the cause of the fire.
New Jersey fire officials have contained by 90% a wildfire in Essex County that burned over 192 acres, according to the state's forest fire service. Local and state authorities have responded to hundreds of wildfires this month as New Jersey, and most of the Northeast, contend with ongoing drought conditions.