Despite recent rain, Iowans warned of fire danger

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning throughout northwestern and parts of western Iowa, recommending residents of the region against starting outdoor fires.

It also issued a high wind warning for elevated fire risk in other Iowa areas, including the Des Moines metro.

Why is there still a risk after a six-week period with above-normal rainfall in many areas?

What is a red flag warning?

Red flag warnings indicate the dryness of vegetation, which is most impacted by wind speeds. Although Iowans have experienced rain recently, consistent strong winds with relatively low humidity of 25%-30% make for elevated fire weather conditions, the weather service said.

“The rain definitely helped the soil conditions but with a red flag warning, it's just the dryness of the vegetation as well as the winds,” said Jeff Zogg, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines. “With the dry vegetation, it's easy to start a fire, and with the winds we've been having, once the fire starts, those winds can spread the fire pretty easily.”

How long is the warning in effect?

The warning will drop by 7 p.m. By midnight, the weather service expects rain to begin falling throughout most of the state, with northern Iowa seeing more rain Sunday afternoon.

“The big thing is to avoid burning when we have the red flag warning in effect, because any fires that develop or start can spread rapidly,” Zogg said. “The biggest thing is just to avoid outdoor burning.”

Biong M. Biong is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at bbiong@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Recent rain doesn't abate wind-driven fire risk in Iowa