Red Flag fire warning issued for Bay Area counties
TAMPA (FOX 13) - The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for much southwest and west-central Florida on Friday.
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.
According to NWS, long durations of humidity values below 35 percent, combined with sustained winds over 15 mph led to the Red Flag conditions across the state.
This means that any fires that do develop in the affected areas will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended during this time.
Here is a list of the affected counties:
- Sumter
- Pinellas
- Polk
- Highlands
- Desoto
- Levy
- Citrus
- Hernando
- Pasco
- Charlotte
- Lee
For more information on Red Flag warnings, visit the National Weather Service website.