Red Flag Warning puts San Juan County at wildfire risk Tuesday

Residents in parts of San Juan County faced a no-burn, high-caution afternoon Tuesday as the National Weather Service posted a Red Flag Warning from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. for portions of the county, along with parts of McKinley and Cibola counties. The warning meant critical fire weather conditions were occurring or expected, and rapid fire spread was possible from any new spark.

In San Juan County, dry fuels, gusty and erratic winds, cloud-to-ground lightning and little to no rainfall could combine to create a dangerous ignition window during the hottest part of the day.

Power tools, welding, mowing in dry grass, target shooting and driving through open areas could all have posed a greater fire risk when the warning was active. Warm temperatures and high UV levels added to the strain on already dry vegetation, and the warning covered the afternoon and early evening when winds and heat often make fires harder to stop.

A Red Flag Warning signals critical fire weather conditions, and strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. NWS Albuquerque messaging for Tuesday also warned that some storms over central New Mexico could produce gusty, erratic winds with little or no rain reaching the ground.

The National Weather Service Albuquerque Weather Forecast Office says all 33 counties in the state can experience severe thunderstorms with high winds, large hail, deadly lightning and heavy rain at some point during the year, and storms become more numerous statewide from July through August.