It’s fire season! Watching for fires in Texas, Florida and west of the Appalachians

It’s that time of the season (and I am not referring to severe weather, which we will also have today)! Very dry air in place, along with gusty winds and the worsening drought for some spots are increasing the risk of fire weather.

There are 3 dominant spots highlighted in the U.S. which are under a red flag warning. Practically the whole southern half of Texas, including major cities like San Antonio, Austin, and Houston are all under a very dry air mass and gusty warm winds coming mainly from the west.

For Southeast Texas, there is a cold front swinging by on Wednesday afternoon, the vegetation is very dry, and the cold front will be moving fast to the east and be out of the area by noon. Much drier air will be quick to take over, which will increase the chance of wildfires. The winds could also make any fires become uncontrollable.

A similar situation is happening across West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and northeastern Tennessee, where there will be very dry and warm air in place with gusty winds. These make the perfect recipe for fires to ignite and grow extensively. Gusts in the mountains and foothills could reach 90 mph. Residents and visitors are advised to obey burn laws, keep vehicles off of dry grass, properly dispose of cigarettes, and avoid activities with open flames or sparks.

The last area we will be monitoring for fire weather today is across Central and South Florida, specifically the western portion of the peninsula. There are a couple of fires that have ignited in recent days and the dry, warm, and gusty conditions could make any other fires become a problem for populated areas. The winds will be from the southeast between 15-20 mph and gusting to 30 mph. Humidity levels will be below 35 percent during the afternoon which will make any fires spread rapidly.

Please avoid burning or any activities that involve sparks or fires.