Elevated fire weather risk in effect for parts of Central Missouri
An elevated fire risk has been put into effect today for the following counties in Central Missouri: Pulaski, Phelps, Morgan, Miller, Maries, Camden, Morgan, Benton, Pettis, Saline, Cooper, Chariton, Howard, Randolph, and Macon county. This will stay in effect throughout the entire day until the evening hours.
This risk means that some elevated fire weather conditions will occur across some of the area throughout the rest of the morning into the early evening hours as southerly winds combine with a seasonably warm and dry air mass.
The seasonably warm and dry air mass will lead to less moisture in the fuels that are present today, making vegetation like dry grass and branches ignite easily. As the dry air persists, it will also pull moisture from the fuel, increasing the volatility.
The breezy winds fan the flames that are present, provide oxygen to the fire, and finally, carry embers to create new spot fires that can grow. These new spot fires can easily grow as Missouri has gone through a good stretch of little to no rainfall. The newest drought monitor has most of Missouri in a moderate drought (D1), but the southern portions of the state are in a severe (D2) to even exceptional drought (D3).
Due to these conditions, it is important to avoid burning if possible today and potentially wait to burn until after the expected system on Saturday brings widespread rainfall and some relief to the dry fuels across the state. If outdoor burning grows out of control, please call emergency services to alert them of your exact location. Evacuate yourself and any other people or pets from the area into a safe location, and do not try to fight the fire if it is spreading rapidly. If the fire is still small enough, use as much water as possible on it, smother the flames with dirt or other non-flammable materials, and clear out any flammable debris.
After the widespread rainfall on Saturday, drought conditions should be expected to improve slightly, but be advised that this will not be enough to fully take away the threat of rapidly spreading fires in the state.
