Johnson City, TN – Low humidity and strong winds are increasing the risk of fire throughout East Tennessee and parts of Western North Carolina today, with a Red Flag Warning continuing until 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The warning includes a number of Tennessee mountain and foothill counties—Johnson, Cocke, Greene, and Monroe—and Cherokee and Clay counties in North Carolina, said the National Weather Service in Morristown. Sustained winds of 10 to 20 mph and gusts as high as 30 mph in elevated areas are fueling the increased fire danger.
Minimum relative humidity is forecast to fall as low as 20% in some foothill communities this afternoon and evening. Dry conditions combined with hot temperatures provide a setting in which wildfires can ignite and spread rapidly.
Citizens are advised to stay away from any outdoor burning and use extreme caution with anything that might produce a flame. Local fire departments and emergency responders are on high alert all day.
