Beyond the Forecast: What are ‘Fire Weather Watches' and ‘Red Flag Warnings'?

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Over the weekend, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) upgraded the fire danger risk for numerous counties across the state, including placing Langlade and northern Marinette counties under an 'extreme' fire danger classification.
That shift in risk level was quickly followed by the National Weather Service issuing a Fire Weather Watch, which was later elevated to a Red Flag Warning for 21 counties in total.
21 northern Wisconsin counties under warning from DNR face extreme wildfire conditions
But what do these alerts mean?
'Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches are a fire prevention tool to increase public awareness of the conditions and to assist in preventing human-caused fires,' explained Angela Rogers, the DNR's Oconto Falls team leader. 'Extreme fire danger is defined as explosive conditions, which is the worst possible fire danger that we can have here.'
Several weather and environmental factors go into determining wildfire risk. Among them: dry ground from limited rainfall, low relative humidity levels below 25%, strong surface winds above 50 miles per hour, and temperatures warmer than 75 degrees.
When these conditions align, Rogers urges the public to be extremely careful with any activity that could ignite a fire.
'What the public can do is avoid any burning — we really recommend not starting any fires,' said Rogers. 'Be cautious when mowing the lawn, using equipment such as chainsaws, smoking, grilling, or disposing of ashes. Make sure everything is out. In these windy, dry conditions, it's easy to spark a fire.'
In a press release, the Wisconsin DNR said they responded to 100 wildfires in the past week alone, many in northern Wisconsin. That spike in fire activity led officials to raise the risk level from 'very high' to 'extreme.'
The National Weather Service told Local 5 News that Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches remain rare. Since 2006, the NWS has issued just 21 Red Flag Warnings and 16 Fire Weather Watches for the region.
Although areas such as Green Bay, the Fox Cities, and the lakeshore are not currently in the 'extreme' category, they are still classified under 'high' or 'very high' risk levels. Rogers said that even those areas should take the alerts seriously.
'It's not a bad idea to be extra cautious. Understand that in these elevated conditions, fires will start and spread very rapidly,' Rogers said.
Green Bay fire and police teams work together to rescue baby raccoons
Dry marshlands and invasive phragmites are especially vulnerable, but even fast-burning green grass fires are becoming more frequent.
Residents are encouraged to stay updated on current fire conditions and local burn regulations by visiting the Wisconsin DNR's website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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