National Weather Service Issues Emergency ‘Fire Warning’ For Charlotte Region

816

This morning, the National Weather Service issued the following ‘Red Flag Warning’ for “IREDELL, DAVIE, ROWAN, MECKLENBURG, CABARRUS, and UNION COUNTIES”

 IREDELL-DAVIE-ROWAN-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-

530 AM EDT FRI APR 30 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS

EVENING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED

A RED FLAG WARNING FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, WHICH IS

IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THE FIRE

WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA...IREDELL, DAVIE, ROWAN, MECKLENBURG, CABARRUS

AND UNION NC.

* TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 25 PERCENT.

* FUEL MOISTURE...ALREADY SEASONABLY LOW WILL LIKELY DROP

FURTHER WITH NO SIGNIFICANT WETTING RAIN IN THE FORECAST

TONIGHT OR FRIDAY.

* IMPACTS...OUTDOOR FIRES MAY EASILY GROW OUT OF CONTROL IN

THESE CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

While wildfires are rare in North Carolina, they do occasionally occur.

Back in 2016, dozens of devastating fires erupted all across the North Carolina mountains and Piedmont after a similar dry spell.

This shot was just taken in 2016 by John Cayton of the Party Rock Fire on Lake Lure:

15068402_10158061905195144_4524219220845077259_o

Comments

comments