Roanoke, VA – A Red Flag Warning is still in place for southwest Virginia, including the Roanoke and Lynchburg regions, because of a mix of gusty winds, low humidity, and dry ground fuels elevating wildfire threats.
The warning, issued by the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, affects 14 counties and will be in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday. The affected areas are Roanoke, Botetourt, Rockbridge, Patrick, Franklin, Bedford, Amherst, Henry, Pittsylvania, Campbell, Appomattox, Buckingham, Halifax, and Charlotte counties.
Northwest winds of 10 to 20 mph, gusting up to 30 mph, are forecasted. Relative humidity may as low as 17 percent, substantially drying the fuels and further elevating the likelihood of speedy fire spread.
Officials are asking residents to stay away from outdoor burning and activities that may ignite a fire, including tossing cigarettes or burning with open flames. Any fires that do ignite will spread rapidly and be hard to contain.
Emergency agencies throughout southwest Virginia are on high alert, and residents are encouraged to remain informed through local notifications and the National Weather Service at weather.gov/rnk/fire.
