If you live in Lyon and most nearby counties Monday and have plans for controlled burns, you need to hold off until at least Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning from 12-8 pm Monday, involving Lyon, Coffey, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties. Red flag warnings are significant for two connected reasons: they signal critical fire danger and, as such, they lead to automatic burn bans for alerted counties while they are in effect. This means fire weather watches issued early Sunday for Monday’s potential fire activities have been replaced.
There is currently no red flag warning for Chase or Greenwood counties, but Chase County has enacted a burn ban for Monday. Later this week, Fire Chief Steve Fillmore says the ban will be revisited Wednesday with possible high fire danger conditions for Thursday and Friday.
Burns are strongly discouraged in Greenwood County but not banned until a red flag warning is in place.
NWS is still forecasting high temperatures near 80 degrees, along with relative humidity levels at or below 20 percent, dry grasses and southwesterly winds up to 30 mph.
KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates.
7:30 am Sunday: Fire weather watch to start at noon Monday for Lyon, most surrounding counties
A combination of conditions is leading to notably high fire danger across most of the KVOE listening area Monday.
The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for Lyon, Coffey, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties from 12-8 pm. Besides relative humidity levels under 20 percent, grasses remain dry despite rain last week. High temperatures will approach 80 degrees and southerly wind gusts will be near 30 mph at times.
Fire weather watches are also notable because they commonly serve as precursors to red flag warnings — signaling critical fire danger and leading to automatic burn bans for affected area counties while they are in effect.
Monday’s fire danger comes as the KVOE listening area still remains abnormally dry, according to the US Drought Monitor, save for the south half of Chase County — which is drought-free. It also comes with a dry and occasionally breezy week ahead before a moderate chance of showers and storms Friday.
KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates.
