Forecasters are warning millions of Americans across the High Plains to prepare for “extremely” critical fire weather.
Red flag warnings were issued in multiple states Monday, where temperatures were expected to be in the 70s and 80s and conditions were forecast to be very dry.
“Dry and breezy weather may lead to the initiation and spread of wildfires. Stay weather aware and avoid activities that can lead to wildfires!” the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth, Texas, advised.
The High Plains states affected by the extreme fire risk include Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. It also includes cities such as Dallas and Oklahoma City.
Temperatures will rise to between 15 and 25 degrees above average over parts of the Central Plains this week during the threat.
In Colorado, wind speeds could range from 25 to 30mph.
“Strong winds and dry conditions will lead to continued fire danger across the area,” forecasters in Pueblo said. Wind gusts there were anticipated to increase to 65mph.
Residents of these areas should avoid outdoor burning and be mindful of anything that could possibly spark fires, such as dragging chains and mowing.
Windy weather has already knocked out power for nearly 6,800 customers in Colorado and over 9,300 in Texas, according to outage tracker PowerOutage.US.
The threat was expected to extend into Tuesday and comes after wildfires and dust storms in the High Plains resulted in the deaths of 16 people last weekend.
In Oklahoma, four people were killed and more than 400 homes were destroyed following more than 130 fires and hurricane-force winds. One man died saving his son from the fires, according to News on 6. Crews reportedly had difficulty containing the fires and rapidly became overwhelmed.
“Nobody has enough resources to fight fires when the wind is blowing 70 mph,” Stillwater Fire Chief Terry Essary said. “It’s an insurmountable task.”
Even as fire weather was projected to linger, snow and gusty winds will develop over the Plains by Tuesday night. Some showers, hail, and thunderstorms are also forecast. Grand Junction, Colorado, may get up to one foot of snow.
The risk of severe weather will broaden on Wednesday, AccuWeather says, extending from the Great Lakes to the
With reporting from The Associated Press
