A Red Flag Warning is in effect on Monday for a large portion of Lower Michigan.
It’s all about fire risk. The Red Flag Warning is in effect for all of the Lower Peninsula outside of Southeast Michigan and the Thumb region, including Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Alpena, Gaylord and Traverse City.
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(UPDATE: As of Tuesday, April 23, all Red Flag Warnings have been lifted)
“Very high fire danger is expected across much of northern lower Michigan through early this evening given low relative humidity, breezy southwest winds and very dry fine fuels,” NWS said.
A Red Flag Warning means warm temperatures, very low humidities, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger.
Some guidelines if you’re in one of the areas:
- If you are allowed to burn in your area, all burn barrels must be covered with a weighted metal cover, with holes no larger than 3/4 of an inch.
- Do not throw cigarettes or matches out of a moving vehicle. They may ignite dry grass on the side of the road and become a wildfire.
- Extinguish all outdoor fires properly. Drown fires with plenty of water and stir to make sure everything is cold to the touch. Dunk charcoal in water until cold. Do not throw live charcoal on the ground and leave it.
- Never leave a fire unattended. Sparks or embers can blow into leaves or grass, ignite a fire, and quickly spread.
A Red Flag Warning (RFW) is a term that has been used since the 1960s by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) fire weather forecasters to alert forecast users to an ongoing or imminent critical fire weather pattern.
Related: When fire ravaged Michigan’s Thumb region: ‘A demon in the gale’