Dry air, mountain winds, warm weather and plentiful shrubs and trees make Colorado a prime location for dangerous wildfires. The National Weather Service keeps tabs on weather conditions and issues warnings when conditions are dangerous and fire is imminent or likely.
The Red Flag program of the National Weather Service is a fire-weather program that evaluates weather conditions and determines whether those conditions make it likely for wildfires to occur over a large area.
A red flag warning indicates that fire danger is high in a particular area. The National Weather Service forecast offices in Colorado issue a this warning if a wildfire is already burning or if a fire-weather forecaster predicts that red flag conditions will occur within 24 hours of issuing the warning.
The National Weather Service issues a red flag warning if the National Fire Danger Rating System is high to extreme, and if weather forecasts include sustained winds averaging at least 15 miles per hour, low relative humidity, and air temperatures of at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Red flag warnings can be found on the Colorado listing of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service website. You can also call a National Weather Service phone number to learn of current warnings, or tune in the radio or television.
