In addition to an air quality alert and excessive heat warning, there's also a red flag warning in place for much of the region. The National Weather Service Fort Worth tweeted on Monday evening that the area should keep an eye out for all three types of bad weather.
"Tuesday is ramping up to be yet another hot day!" tweeted NWS Fort Worth. "An Excessive Heat Warning, Red Flag Warning and an Air Quality Alert will all be in effect. Make sure to exercise the proper precautions to avoid heat related illnesses as well as potential fire starts."
So, what exactly is a red flag warning anyway? (Feel free, dear reader, to insert a joke about your worst ex-boyfriend here.)Tuesday is ramping up to be yet another hot day! An Excessive Heat Warning, Red Flag Warning and an Air Quality Alert will all be in effect. Make sure to exercise the proper precautions to avoid heat related illnesses as well as potential fire starts. #dfwwx #txwx #ctxwx pic.twitter.com/LGHjkc2L6k
— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) July 31, 2023
What Is a Red Flag Warning?
Fire weather forecasters use the term "red flag warning" to notify the public and fire personnel that certain conditions — like low relative humidity and high winds — are merging to form "potential extreme and critical fire weather," according to the U.S. Forest Service.The Forest Service expanded on the three criteria:
"1. Wind speeds are expected to exceed 20mph.Several activities should be avoided when a red flag warning strikes:
2. Relative humidity is 15% or lower.
3. Fire danger rating of High, Very High, or Extreme."
Smoking outside of buildings and vehicles; driving a vehicle off streets or trails; building and maintaining a campfire or other fire; and driving a car that doesn't have "an approved spark arresting device," according to the U.S. Forest Service. You should also avoid welding or using torches with open flames and stay away from chainsaws, generators and other equipment that uses an internal combustion engine.
How Long Is North Texas Under a Red Flag Warning?
WFAA weather soothsayer Pete Delkus warned North Texans that the region is under an excessive heat warning on Tuesday. And a red flag warning is in place along the I-35 corridor and to its west."Remember the drought's in place," Delkus said Monday on WFAA. "It's dry, it's breezy, low humidity. The fires will spread very quickly. A red flag warning is as high as you get when it comes to the fire danger."
The red flag warning will stay in effect from 1 p.m. Tuesday until 1 a.m. Wednesday, according to the NWS. There's also a possibility of "rapid ignition and spread of wildfires" because of the ongoing dry and hot conditions.
This comes after rescue crews worked to put out a sizable grass fire on Sunday evening that sparked near Botham Jean Boulevard and I-45. The blaze also caused damage to a South Dallas bridge, according to FOX 4.
