Much of the Southern Plains and Southwest are currently on high alert as conditions are ripe for wildfires to spread across the region.

“The combination of abnormally high temperatures and strong winds will support a widespread increase into critical fire conditions,” the National Weather Service said Monday in its fire outlook.

Red Flag Warnings — a type of weather warning issued by the NWS for areas where extra caution should be taken to avoid wildfires — are also in effect for much of Oklahoma, parts of North Texas, southeastern Colorado and Kansas.

Speak with NewsweekNWS meteorologist Robb Lawson said fire conditions are expected to continue into today and tomorrow as 50 mile per hour winds rip through the region.

“We won’t have a red flag warning like today for most of tomorrow, especially since humidity will be a little higher tomorrow,” he said.

A corridor of low relative humidity and high winds is expected to overlap and form across the eastern Texas Panhandle, western Oklahoma and southern Kansas, according to the NWS. Dry fuel on the ground can ignite quickly.

Lawson advised people in affected areas to avoid all outdoor fires, such as campfires, in the coming days. People should also be careful when disposing of cigarette butts.

Where burning is necessary, the NWS urges people to never leave them unattended and to properly extinguish the flames by drowning them in water and stirring them to ensure everything is cold to the touch.

“Sparks or embers can blow into leaves or grass, ignite a fire and spread quickly,” the NWS said on its website.

Dozens of record temperatures are expected from Texas to Minnesota over the next 48 hours, raising the risk of fires.

Fires also require fuel to burn, which has occurred recently due to abnormally dry conditions. According to the United States Drought Monitor, every state in the US is experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions in some regions.

The risk also extends into the Southwest and Great Basin.

“Strong southwesterly flow is expected near the base of the upper trough ahead of a cold front over the southern Great Basin and southwest,” the NWS said.

“Downslope flow and warm temperatures will support relative humidity values ​​of 15-20 percent as surface winds increase to 25-30 km per hour.”

These conditions will lead to increased fire risks – below critical levels – across the region.

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