Dodge City, Kansas – Fire danger is escalating rapidly across the central Plains today as strong winds, record-low humidity, and unseasonably warm temperatures combine to create critical wildfire conditions from Colorado through Kansas and into Oklahoma.
According to the National Weather Service, Red Flag Warnings are in effect from late morning through early evening across northeast Colorado, western and southern Kansas, and northwest Oklahoma. Winds are expected to gust between 35 and 40 mph across much of the region, while relative humidity drops as low as 9 percent in parts of southwest Kansas and near 13 percent in northeast Colorado. In northwest Oklahoma, temperatures are expected to surge into the lower 80s by midafternoon, further drying grasses and dormant fuels.
In Colorado, Larimer County below 6,000 feet and northern Weld County face the highest risk between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., with west winds gusting to 35 mph. Kansas counties from Stanton and Grant east through Ford and Clark could see explosive fire growth from noon through early evening, especially along open rangeland and highways. In Oklahoma, Harper, Ellis, and Woodward counties are under a Red Flag Warning from noon to 7 p.m., with south winds gusting to 35 mph.
Officials strongly urge residents to avoid outdoor burning, postpone welding or grinding, and secure trailer chains that could spark along roadways. Any fire that starts today could spread out of control within minutes. Red Flag Warnings expire this evening, but elevated fire danger may continue into Tuesday if fuels remain dry.
