Red Flag Warning: High Wind, Fire Risk In Tucson

TUCSON, AZ — The National Weather Service is warning Tucson area residents of a red flag warning, meaning fires will start easily and spread fast. The risk comes from low humidity, high temperatures and high wind.

Tucson can expect winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph, according to the warning. Those high winds, alongside temperatures in the mid-80's and humidity between eight and 14 percent, make for fire-friendly conditions until 9 p.m. Thursday. Humidity on Friday is expected to drop to as low as 4 percent.

"Fuels are very dry and fire danger is very high to extreme. These conditions combined with low relative humidity and strong winds will lead to widespread hazardous fire weather conditions," the National Weather Service warned.

The red flag warning will last through Friday.

The NWS also released a wind advisory, with sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph, and gusts up to 45 mph. The high-wind conditions are expected to last through Thursday evening.

Article image via Shutterstock