Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

Stoddard County, Missouri - The National Weather Service out of Paducah, Kentucky has issued a Fire Weather Warning for Stoddard County.

... RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 5 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY... DRY FUELS... AND GUSTY SOUTH WINDS. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE MARK TWAIN AND SHAWNEE NATIONAL FORESTS... OZARK SCENIC RIVERWAYS... FORT CAMPBELL... LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES RECREATIONAL AREA... AND STATE LANDS AS WELL... .

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 5 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* AFFECTED AREA... SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... SOUTHERN ILLINOIS... WEST KENTUCKY... SOUTHWEST INDIANA.

* WINDS... SUSTAINED SOUTH WINDS AT 20 MPH... GUSTS 25 TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING... NOON TO 5 PM.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY... 20-25% WITH SOME LOCATIONS IN THE UPPER TEENS.

* TEMPERATURES... HIGHS 39-43 DEGREES.

* IMPACTS... RAPID FIRE SPREAD FOR ANY FIRES THAT IGNITE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW... OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS... LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY... AND WARM TEMPERATURES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.