Missouri Suddenly in the Middle of Perilous Wildfire Danger

You might want to be careful where you light a match in Missouri for the foreseeable future. The state is suddenly in the middle of an urgent wildfire danger.

The National Weather Service in St. Louis, Missouri just issued some stern warnings about the danger of wildfires today (Thursday) February 27 and also Friday, February 28. This is the warning map they shared for today.

That danger will continue for Friday, too, with this map showing low relative humidity.

Why is Missouri suddenly in the middle of wildfire danger?

It's a combination of dry conditions caused by the low humidity combined with expected winds upward of 15 mph and perhaps stronger. That means any spark that ends up in dry brush could quickly become a fire that could move quickly in those brisk winds.

The National Weather Service advises to not discard cigarettes from vehicles and don't park on dry grass. They also say if you're pulling a trailer, check for dragging chains. One little spark could create a fire that would spread quickly and be unpredictable.