Baltimore, MD – Critical fire weather conditions are expected across the Mid-Atlantic today as strong northwest winds and very low humidity create an environment highly favorable for rapid fire spread. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, replacing an earlier Fire Weather Watch.
According to the National Weather Service in Baltimore/Washington, the warning includes central and southern Maryland, Washington, DC, northern and central Virginia, and eastern West Virginia, including counties such as Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, Montgomery, Howard, Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, Albemarle, Frederick VA, Page, Shenandoah, Rockingham, Augusta, and Jefferson, Berkeley, Hardy, and Eastern Mineral in West Virginia.
Winds will be strongest across northern Maryland, eastern West Virginia, and the northern Shenandoah Valley, where northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph are expected. The DC metro, southern Maryland, and the central Virginia piedmont will see 15 to 25 mph winds with gusts up to 40 mph.
Relative humidity will fall to around 20%, and 10-hour fuel moisture is as low as 7 to 8 percent, creating conditions where even a small spark can ignite a fast-moving wildfire.
According to the NWS, “any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly,” and outdoor burning is not recommended. The strongest winds are expected late morning through mid-afternoon, overlapping with the period of lowest humidity.
Fire officials across the region urge residents to secure trailer chains, avoid discarding cigarettes, and limit the use of outdoor machinery that could spark. Gusts may also down small limbs, expanding the availability of dry fuels.
