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Wind Gusts Lead To Hazardous Fire Warning In Northeastern Arizona

Northern Arizona weather with red flag and high wind warnings.
(Screen shot courtesy of National Weather Service Forecast Office)
Northern Arizona weather with red flag and high wind warnings.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous fire warning Monday for northeastern Arizona.

Marvin Percha, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said a combination of conditions in the area give way to an increased risk of fire.

“That area hasn’t had much rainfall through the winter. So they have that combination of the winds and humidity as low as 7 percent, and it’s creating dangerous fire weather conditions up there,” said Percha. “You need all three in order to trigger these conditions.”

The weather service said a dry cold front from the north is causing wind gusts up to 50 mph along and north of Interstate 40.

Percha said the risk of fire will diminish when the sun sets and stops heating those winds.

The weather service said the warning will remain in effect until 7 p.m.

Andrew Romanov was an intern at KJZZ in 2014.