DALLAS — The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a red flag warning for counties in north and central parts of Texas as ongoing extreme weather conditions have elevated the risk for wildfires in the area.
The warning will last until midnight Wednesday, the weather service said.
The weather service said any activities that could start a wildfire should be avoided and burning of any kind is strongly discouraged. Many counties in North Texas have burn bans in effect.
The counties under the red flag warning include Montague, Cooke, Grayson, Fannin, Lamar, Young, Jack, Wise, Denton, Collin, Hunt, Delta, Hopkins, Stephens, Palo Pinto, Parker, Tarrant, Dallas, Rockwall, Kaufman, Van Zandt, Rains, Eastland, Erath, Hood, Somervell, Johnson, Ellis, Henderson, Comanche, Mills, Hamilton, Bosque, Hill, Navarro, Freestone, Anderson, Lampasas, Coryell, Bell, McLennan-Falls, Limestone, Leon, Milam and Robertson.
A red flag warning is issued when extreme fire conditions are either occurring now or will shortly happen, the weather service said. Strong winds, low relative humidity and dry vegetation can lead to extreme fire.
Winds are expected to be about 15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph, the weather service said. Relative humidity will be as low as 14%, and temperatures will range from 103 to 112 degrees across central and north Texas, the weather service said.
Outside burning and welding should be avoided during the warning, the weather service said, and lit cigarette butts should not be tossed outside.
On Monday, a wildfire near Possum Kingdom Lake burned through nearly 300 acres of land, forcing evacuations of dozens of homes.
Monday was also the hottest day of the year in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to the weather service. The temperature at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport reached 109 degrees.
How to prevent wildfires
In addition to checking with local burn bans, the weather service said residents should avoid:
— tossing lit cigarettes on the ground
— dragging tow chains on the ground
— parking or driving over tall grass
— leaving a campfire unattended
— burning unnecessarily
Any wildfires should be reported to authorities, the weather service said.
