Red Flag Warning issued across western Utah amid critical wildfire conditions

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning across western Utah amid critical fire weather conditions.

The alert was sent out shortly after midnight Friday morning, Aug. 23. The warning went into effect at noon Friday and will remain in place until midnight Saturday night.

The NWS said to expect southwest winds at 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. The winds will reportedly diminish late Friday night but redevelop on Saturday.

Relative humidity is as low as 7 percent, with poor overnight recoveries expected at around 20 percent.

“Critical fire weather conditions are expected. Any new fire starts or existing fires may spread rapidly,” the NWS stated. “A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.”

Affected areas are highlighted in pink on the map below, provided by the NWS:

For more information, visit the NWS website here .

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