Extremely Critical Fire Conditions Expected to Return to the Southern Plains
A new wave of fire danger looms over the southern and central Plains this week, with a powerful storm system gathering strength over the northern Plains poised to unleash bone-dry winds across already vulnerable parched landscapes, creating perfect conditions for more fast-moving wildfires.
Widespread winds between 25 and 35 miles per hour are forecast, according to the Storm Prediction Center, with central Texas through central and northeastern Oklahoma into eastern Kansas and western Missouri expecting gusts of 40 miles per hour or more starting Monday.
But it's not just the strength of the wind that's of concern. David Roth, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center, said that a recent cold front pushed moisture away from Texas and that offshore winds have continued to keep the air dry. Very little moisture is expected to return on Monday.
Forecast risk of fire weather for Monday
Elevated
Critical
Extremely Critical
'All you really need for fire weather are relative humidities under 20 percent,' Mr. Roth said. As temperatures rise into the 60s and 70s, humidity levels are expected to drop into the teens or even single digits in some places.
'For every 10 miles an hour, a fire can move a mile each day,' he said. 'The higher the wind is, the harder it is to control, which also means it's harder for the firefighters to control.'
Reported incidents
Latest perimeters
Source: National Interagency Fire Center
Notes: Data is available only for the United States. Fire perimeters are shown when available. Fire locations and perimeters are classified as wildfires according to the U.S. government's Integrated Reporting of Wildland Fire Information.
By William B. Davis, Joey K. Lee and Bea Malsky
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