Red Flag warning issued as soaring temperatures create conditions for fires

With temperatures nearing record highs across the state, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag warning to try prevent fires from starting in high-risk areas.

The warning, intended to discourage burning due to fire-prone conditions, will last from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The DNR also released a map highlighting the fire risk in each of Wisconsin's counties. This map shows that the highest risk for fires is in the state's central and southwestern counties.

What is a Red Flag Warning?

A Red Flag Warning is issued when warm temperatures, very low humidity, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger.

When a Red Flag Warning is issued, all burn barrels must be covered with a weighted metal cover, with holes no larger than ¾ of an inch. The weather service recommends that you extinguish all outdoor fires properly and drown fires with plenty of water to make sure everything is cold to the touch.

The weather service also says that during a Red Flag Warning acts like throwing cigarettes or matches out of a moving vehicle could ignite dry grass on the side of the road — potentially starting a wildfire.

Why is a Red Flag Warning being issued?

Red Flag Warnings are in part determined by the humidity values in certain areas. On Sunday, the weather service said that the humidity levels in many counties was below 25%. Low humidity combined with dry vegetation, 20-plus mph wind gusts and temperatures rising into the mid 90s mean the chance for a fire is significantly higher.

"We are seeing relatively low humidities and very high temperatures," said Cameron Miller, a National Weather Service meteorologist, "Combine that with winds gusting to around 20 mph you're getting conditions where fires can start fairly easily, and they can spread fairly quickly as well."