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By Amanda Greenwood
Associate News Editor
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Multiple locations within five states across America have been issued with fire weather watches by the NWS, which warns residents that they are in an “elevated fire danger” area as strong winds and hot temperatures combine to create fire weather conditions.
Which States Are in ‘Fire Danger’ Areas
The NWS has warned that several counties across Kansas, western Oklahoma, western parts of north Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico are under a fire weather watch from Wednesday to Thursday.
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Oklahoma
Southerly winds reaching up to 40 mph and temperatures surging to 99 degrees Farhenheit are forecast for Harper, Woods, Alfalfa, Grant, Kay, Ellis, Woodward, Major, Garfield, Noble, Roger Mills, Dewey, Custer, Blaine, Kingfisher, Logan, Payne, Beckham, Washita, Caddo, Canadian, Oklahoma, Lincoln, Grady, McClain, Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Harmon, Greer, Kiowa, Jackson, Tillman, Comanche, Stephens, Garvin, and Cotton counties from Thursday morning until Thursday evening. The NWS warns that if fires develop, there is a chance they will spread quickly and, therefore suggests people avoid any outdoor burning.
Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver counties could experience temperatures over 100 F and winds gusting up to 35 mph throughout Thursday, which the NWS warns could cause any fires that develop to spread rapidly.
Winds reaching 35 mph and very dry air across Osage, Washington, Pawnee, Tulsa, Creek, Okfuskee, and Okmulgee counties mean an increased risk of wildfire through Thursday.
Texas
Hardeman, Foard, Wilbarger, Wichita, Knox, and Baylor counties are forecast to get winds from the south, ranging between 25 mh and 40 mph, alongside temperatures reaching up to 99 F, through Thursday. There is a high risk of wildfires for these areas, which, if they start, could spread quickly and be difficult to control.
Temperatures ranging between the high 90s and low 100s and winds reaching 35 mph across Dallam, Sherman, Hansford, Ochiltree, Lipscomb, Hartley, Moore, Hutchinson, Roberts, Hemphill, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Wheeler, Deaf Smith, Randall, Armstrong, Donley, and Collingsworth counties, plus the Palo Duro Canyon—which is located in Oldham and Randall counties—through Thursday, mean that fires could develop and spread quickly.
Kansas
The NWS has issued a fire weather watch for Hamilton, Kearny, Finney, Stanton, Grant, Haskell, Gray, Ford, Morton, Stevens, Seward, Meade, Clark, Comanche, and Barber countries which is in effect from early Thursday morning to Thursday evening.
This is because west-northwesterly winds ranging between 15 mph and 30 mph during the morning are likely to rapidly develop into north-northeasterly winds reaching up to 50 mph, which could increase the risk of fire—which is expected to spread quickly—as the air is extremely dry (humidity is as low as 10 percent).
Colorado
Central and southeastern areas of Colorado, including the upper Arkansas River Valley in Lake and Chaffee counties; southern El Paso county, including Fort Carson and Colorado Springs; Pueblo county; Huerfano county near Walsenburg; western and eastern parts of Las Animas county, including Trinidad, Thatcher, and Pinon Canyon; Crowley county around Ordway; Otero county including La Junta and the Western Comanche Grasslands; Bent county around Las Animas; Prowers county including Lamar; and Baca county near Springfield and the Eastern Comanche Grasslands have been told that “elevated fire danger is expected” as northwesterly winds reaching 45 mph from Thursday afternoon into the evening, and extremely dry air, mean fires could catch and spread “erratically.”
Fremont county (including Cañon City, Howard, and Texas Creek) and the San Luis Valley (including Alamosa, Del Norte, Fort Garland, and Saguache) in south‑central Colorado are forecast to get winds reaching 40 mph from around noon on Wednesday through Thursday, into Thursday evening. That, coupled with dry air, has increased the risk of fires that are likely to catch and spread rapidly.
Teller county and the Rampart Range, along with the Southern Front Range in central and southern Colorado, could see dry air and up to 45 mph winds through Thursday, which is likely to increase the risk of fire that could spread quickly.
New Mexico
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the northeast and central Highlands, the Sandia and Manzano Mountains, and the northeast, eastern central Plains could experience dry air coupled with 45 mph winds through Thursday, which will increase the risk of wildfires that might be difficult to contain and may spread rapidly.
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