Western Pennsylvania under 'red flag' fire warning conditions

Most of Western Pennsylvania is under a “red flag warning” for fire conditions, meaning there is a higher risk of wildfire growth and spread, according to the National Weather Service.

The warning is in place until 8 p.m. this evening.

The fire watch indicates that “critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly,” and notes that a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior, according to an NWS statement.

“There’s a lot of dried fuels, and grasses are dried out. These conditions being in play could allow the fire to spread rapidly,” meteorologist Jason Frazier said, and clarified: “There’s no immediate threat to anybody’s life or property.”

Winds, low humidity and drier air, combined with multiple days with no precipitation, can make it easier for fires to spread if they form.

“If you wanted to have a big bonfire in your backyard, today’s not the day to have a big bonfire, because if you’re not able to keep that in control, you could rapidly go to ‘half the forest is burned down’ or ‘houses burned down,’” Frazier said. “The notice for the general public is to try and avoid outdoor burning.”

The dry weather is projected to stick around until the weekend, when some weather systems will move in that may bring rain, followed by cooler temperatures. meteorologist Michael Brown said.

“It’s going to bring much higher moisture into the area,” Brown said. “We’re probably going to get colder heading into next week.”

Frazier noted that each day until the weekend may not have a fire warning appended to it because humidity conditions may change.