National Weather Service: Red Flag Warnings in Effect for Central, Eastern Wyoming

Nearly half of Wyoming is under a red flag warning for today, according to the Riverton office of the National Weather Service.

A red flag warning means that critical to extreme fire weather conditions are expected with a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures, according to the Weather Service.

What happens can be up to people.

"Just be careful," Riverton NWS meteorologist Joshua Rowe said.

Casper, and Johnson County and most of Natrona County are not under the warning as of Wednesday morning.

However, the Bighorn Basin south into Sweetwater County, and Campbell County south into Platte and Goshen counties and east to the state line are.

In Campbell County, the National Weather Service reports, "Critical fire weather conditions are expected to develop this afternoon. South to southwest winds will continue to increase
this morning ahead of a cold front."

In southern Campbell and Weston counties, the Weather Service forecasts gusts to 35 mph.

"Relative humidities will be very low this afternoon, dropping to near or below 10 percent in many areas. The combination of gusty winds and low relative humidities will result in critical fire weather conditions," the Weather Service says.

Rowe said that the breezy conditions today could take sparks or smoldering embers and fan them into flames that would spread quickly.

With the Labor Day weekend at hand, he urged people to be careful where they grill by doing it away from fuels such as dead vegetation.

People also should not drive or park their vehicles over or on dry grass because hot exhaust pipes could start fires, Rowe said.