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    • Red flag warnings are active in some states and record temperatures are forecast
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    Red flag warnings are active in some states and record temperatures are forecast

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

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    Alarms were high across several states in the central U.S. Tuesday as forecasters say possible record temperatures and strong winds ahead of a cold front raise the risk of wildfires in the drought-stricken region.

    Across the Great Plains, warnings were in place for warm temperatures, low humidity and strong winds throughout eastern Colorado, western and northern Kansas, western Oklahoma and parts of the Texas Panhandle. Fire warnings were in effect for the Midwest, east-central Illinois, including the city of Chicago, and much of central Indiana.

    From North Texas to Wisconsin and West Virginia, high temperatures in the upper 70s and 80s were forecast for the afternoon – about 20 to 35 degrees above average for this time of year and on track to break records, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

    Rising temperatures coupled with the ongoing drought in the central U.S. prompted warnings from weather officials urging people not to throw cigarettes or matches on the ground and to put out fires with plenty of water.

    “Record heat, strong southwest winds and dry conditions will cause grass or brush fires to burn out of control,” the weather service’s Chicago office said in a post on X. “Report all fires to local emergency management officials immediately.”

    Temperatures are rising in the Northeast, prompting further fire warnings

    As a cold front pushes across the central United States from the west the rest of the week, the warm front that is increasing temperatures in the Plains and Midwest regions will expand eastward.

    By Halloween, temperatures could reach record highs in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Cities like Washington and Philadelphia are expected to see afternoon high temperatures in the low 80s, more than 15 degrees above the historical average, according to AccuWeather.

    One factor in rising temperatures in the East is a lack of precipitation, which is expected to make October the driest month on record in Philadelphia and New York City, which have not seen measurable amounts of precipitation since September, according to AccuWeather. New York City was placed under a red flag on Saturday due to gusty winds and low humidity.

    As temperatures rise in the East, a cold front is bringing chilly weather to the central United States, dropping afternoon high temperatures into the 50s and 60s.

    According to the US Drought Monitor, portions of all states in the Plains and Midwest are experiencing drought conditions, with some areas experiencing severe and extreme drought. Most states across the country are experiencing unusually dry conditions.

    Forest fires are raging across the country

    Thirteen large active wildfires across the country, from California to Massachusetts, have burned over a million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

    In central Colorado, a fire broke out in Teller County, leading to the evacuation of over 700 households and the closure of schools. The fire, first reported Monday afternoon, burned nearly 100 acres northwest of Colorado Springs, according to the Teller County Sheriff’s Office. The cause remains unknown.

    In Oklahoma, a fire led to evacuation orders for nearby homes in Logan County, north of Oklahoma City. The entire county fire department responded to the fire and prevented it from spreading into neighboring Payne County. Elsewhere in the state, authorities were battling at least three other fires that burned more than 13,000 acres of land, the National Interagency Fire Center said.

    At least 47 active wildfires have been reported in Massachusetts, the state’s fire department said in a statement Monday, adding that 18 fires were reported in 24 hours. Authorities in Millbury, a town south of Worcester, said a woman was found dead Saturday at a camp where a small brush fire had broken out. Officials were unable to determine the cause of the fire.

    New Jersey firefighters have 90% contained a wildfire in Essex County that burned over 192 acres, according to the state’s wildfire agency. Local and state authorities have responded to hundreds of wildfires this month as New Jersey and most of the Northeast grapple with persistent drought.

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    Madoc Meredith
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