Thunderstorms pose fire danger across Southern Washington/Northern Oregon

PENDLETON, Ore. — The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning for Southern Washington and Northeast Oregon from Tuesday afternoon until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 7.

A Red Flag Warning is an alert used by the NWS due to high fire danger in a region. It’s largely issued when there’s a mixture of warm temperatures, low humidity rates, and strong winds. This alert is accompanied by a warning of isolated and scattered thunderstorms on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

NWS officials do not expect these storms to produce rain, which makes the risk of thunderstorm-caused fires even greater. With dry brush and high temperatures, lightning strikes out in nature can cause wildfires and brush fires that would extend into the next day and pose a significant threat to people and animals in the area.

FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Fire Weather Watch in effect on Tuesday

The chance of thunderstorms taking place in the Tri-Cities region is less than likely. However, Northern Oregon is at a higher risk of thunderstorms occurring overnight.

NWS officials expect strong, gusty winds and low humidity across the region on Wednesday.

Per Benton County Fire District No. 1, these thunderstorms are expected to develop after midnight with a low chance of light rain. Fire officials also expect winds to travel west between 15 and 25 MPH with humidity between 10 and 20 percent tomorrow.

Authorities from the National Weather Service advise that the community keeps watch of the weather. They advise anyone who sees smoke or fire to take note of the location and report it to authorities as quickly as possible.

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