Extremely critical fire weather threatens Four Corners region this weekend

Red Flag Warnings covered the Four Corners/Upper Dolores River zone Friday as extremely critical fire weather spread across the Great Basin and Southwest. The setup combined exceptionally dry fuels, strong wind and warm temperatures.

In the Four Corners/Upper Dolores River forecast zone, a warning ran from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. MDT June 26, then from 10 a.m. June 27 to midnight June 28. The same zone also had a Fire Weather Watch in place from noon June 28 to 10 p.m. June 28. Around Farmington and the Four Corners Regional Airport, NWS Albuquerque posted Red Flag Warnings for 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. MDT Friday and again Saturday.

Sustained west and southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph were forecast in Colorado. A separate Pueblo-area fire weather message forecast southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph, gusts up to 50 mph and relative humidity as low as 9 percent, with fires expected to catch and spread rapidly and erratically.

A Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are occurring or will shortly, with strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures capable of driving extreme fire behavior. Any spark from equipment, power lines, vehicles or outdoor burning could have grown quickly across the Four Corners, especially where poor overnight humidity recovery left fine fuels dry heading into the next burn period.