National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have issued special weather statements for nine states on the East Coast warning of elevated fire conditions on Friday.
The wildfire concerns come as many states have battled abnormally dry conditions and warmer-than-average temperatures across the nation. Much of the Northeast is considered abnormally dry, according to the recent U.S. Drought Monitor map, with some states battling moderate and severe drought. The weather has created favorable conditions for wildfires to spark and spread rapidly, prompting the NWS special weather statements.
The forecast includes parts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.
The NWS said that in most areas, low relative humidity, gusty winds and a presence of dry fuels will “support the spread of any fires that ignite.”
“Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged. Be sure to properly extinguish or dispose of any potential ignition sources, including smoking materials such as cigarette butts,” one statement said.
NWS meteorologist Bill Goodman told Newsweek that the highest risk will be Saturday.
“We have no rain in the forecast through next Friday. It’s bone dry,” said Goodman, who works at the New York forecast office. “Some of the sites we keep climate records for will probably have their all-time dryest calendar month when all is said and done. That’s quite unusually dry.”
Many forecast regions issued similar warnings about the weather conditions.
“Elevated fire conditions are expected due to the combination of dry conditions and gusty winds, particularly in the 9 AM until 5 PM timeframe on Saturday,” the statement from the Baltimore office said. “Daytime relative humidity values around 30 percent are expected, along with sustained northwesterly of 15 to 20 mph and gusts of 25 to 30 mph. This will result in the rapid drying of fine fuels like grass, leaves, and small shrubs.”
“Residents and visitors are urged to exercise caution if handling open flames or equipment that create sparks,” the statement said. “Also, dispose of cigarette butts, matches, and other flammable items in appropriate containers. Keep vehicles off of dry grass and obey local burn bans. Most dry grasses, dead leaves, and other tree litter could easily ignite and spread a fire quickly.”
The central United States could see a break from the dry weather in the coming week or so, according to the six- to 10-day precipitation outlook from the NWS Climate Prediction Center. However, the Northeast is still expecting below-normal precipitation.
Unfortunately, below-normal precipitation is expected in the Northeast for three to four weeks.
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