Overview
- National Weather Service offices and the Storm Prediction Center flagged large swaths of the Plains, Upper Midwest, and Southeast for critical fire weather, including three distinct Critical areas spanning the central Plains, southeastern Wyoming, and a corridor from South Carolina to the Florida Panhandle.
- Forecasters warned that gusts up to about 50 mph and relative humidity as low as 10% to 20% can turn dry grass and brush into fast-moving fires, which is why a Red Flag Warning means new ignitions can start easily and spread quickly.
- The Storm Prediction Center estimated roughly 465,000 square kilometers under Critical conditions that affect about 6.5 million people, underscoring the scale of the risk.
- Some western alerts persist into early next week in parts of Wyoming and the Nebraska Panhandle, where very dry air and strong winds are expected to hold through March 31.
- The fire danger follows an exceptional burst of March heat with more than 700 daily records and over 100 monthly records from March 15 to 26, reports of 180 cities setting March records, and analyses saying the event’s extremity would be virtually impossible without climate change, prompting officials to urge people to avoid sparks and watch local forecasts.