The National Weather Service has issued 36 simultaneous Red Flag Warnings stretching from the interior West through the Pacific Coast and into the Caribbean — covering Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Puerto Rico — in one of the more geographically expansive critical fire-weather events of the season.
The most acute danger is concentrated across Colorado, where alerts blanket an unusually wide swath of terrain. Warnings are in effect from the Eastern San Juan Mountains and La Garita Mountains — including Wolf Creek Pass and Creede — north through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Southern Front Range, east across the San Luis Valley, and into the southeastern plains counties of Crowley, Otero, Las Animas, and Huerfano. Forecast conditions driving the alerts: westerly winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts reaching 45 mph, and relative humidity falling as low as 10 percent. Warnings for many Colorado zones run through Saturday evening. Residents in Colorado Springs and surrounding El Paso County, where Fort Carson is also located, are included in the active alert area.
Nevada’s Sierra Front is under broad coverage as well. The Northern Sierra Front zone — Carson City, Douglas, Storey, and Southern Washoe counties — is flagged alongside the Southern Sierra Front covering Alpine and Northern Mono counties. The Lahontan Basin (Churchill and Eastern Mineral counties) and the West Humboldt Basin in Pershing County are also affected. Warnings extend into adjacent California, with Eastern Lassen County and the Surprise Valley also under alerts. Reno sits near the edge of the active Northern Sierra Front warning zone.
In the U.S. Caribbean territories, a separate Red Flag Warning covers southern and western Puerto Rico, Vieques, and St. Croix. The National Weather Service cites breezy east to east-southeast winds and strong gusts combined with low relative humidity, with the highest fire danger expected from late morning through the afternoon.
Alaska rounds out the geographic breadth of the outbreak. A warning near Lime Village in the western interior targets a distinct threat: scattered thunderstorms expected Friday afternoon are forecast to produce erratic, gusty winds near storm cells with humidity dropping to as low as 25 percent — conditions that raise the risk of lightning-ignited wildfire in remote terrain. Separate alerts also cover multiple zones of the Susitna Valley.
Across all affected areas, the National Weather Service warns that a Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or imminent. The combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can allow any ignition to spread rapidly and become difficult to control. Residents are urged to avoid outdoor burning and any activity that could produce a spark.
Conditions should be monitored closely through local National Weather Service offices, as warning timelines and geographic coverage may shift as the pattern evolves.