Increased fire danger in the Tri-State Thursday

CINCINNATI - Strong high pressure is building in the Midwest bringing hot, dry weather to the Tri-State. With the extreme heat, low humidity, and lack of rain, there’s concern of wildfire danger in the Tri-State.

Heat & Fire specifics:

A Heat Advisory goes in effect for the entire Tri-State Thursday from noon through 8 p.m. However, Hamilton County is now under an Excessive Heat Warning.

Earlier Wednesday, a Fire Weather Watch was issued for Thursday.  Due to conditions worsening, this was changed to a Red Flag Warning . If conditions improve, the NWS could cancel it.

Upper 90s to near 100-degree heat, low humidity, and breezy conditions make our area more susceptible to wildfires Thursday. If a fire develops, it could spread rapidly.

It’s best to avoid outdoor burning and firework use. Aside from being illegal, fireworks can spark a wildfire, and with strong winds on Thursday, a fire can burn out of control.

Discussion:

Strong high pressure is building into the Midwest bringing hot, dry weather to the Tri-State. Temperatures will soar well above average, reaching record highs on Thursday and Friday, with some folks reaching 100!

With the extreme heat, low humidity, and lack of rain, there’s some concern of wildfire danger in the Tri-State. 

Thursday looks particularly hazardous for the starting and growth of wildfires as we’re expecting afternoon highs in the upper 90s to near 100, low humidity levels, and winds gusting to 30 mph. A Red Flag Warning has been issued for the entire Tri-State.

Grasses and vegetation are fairly dry right now too, making our area more susceptible to wildfires. 

With there being some concern for wildfires, be careful with open burning and using fireworks. Technically, it’s illegal to use fireworks, but people still use them.  This is one of those times though, where it’s just best to avoid these activities until we get a good, soaking rain to help calm the dry fuels (grasses & vegetation) that could spark a wildfire easily.

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