Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Fire danger leads to Red Flag Warning for Las Vegas; temperatures headed to 108

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(UPDATED: First posted at 11:57 a.m.) Be careful with your sparklers, firecrackers and with any charcoal grilling today.

Gusty winds and dry conditions throughout the Las Vegas valley have led the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning about the danger of fires.

The warning, which includes most of southern Nevada, remains in effect until 8 tonight.

The weather services said a trough of low pressure passing north of the area will result in increasing winds today of 15 to 25 mph, gusting around 35 mph.

The gusty winds, combined with very low relative humidity, create conditions that allow fires to spread quickly.

Today's temperatures had reached more than 105 degrees in some areas by early afternoon, with the official high expected to hit 108 degrees by late this afternoon.

Tonight's weather is expected to be mostly clear, with an overnight low falling to around 77 and southwest winds between 17 and 20 mph becoming light. High temperatures are expected to climb to 107 for Saturday through Monday, with Tuesday's high expected to be 110.

Temperatures have been well over 100 degrees all week. Tuesday's and Wednesday's highs were 109 degrees and Thursday's high reached 110, according to official readings taken at McCarran International Airport. The high temperature for 2007 was 116 on July 5. The all-time recorded high for Las Vegas was 117 degrees on July 19, 2005.

The high temperature have led officials to issue heat advisories this week and take precautions for fire danger.

Earlier this week, Metro Police, issued an advisory to the public that federal, state and local authorities are setting up checkpoints for the July 4 holiday in the Mount Charleston area to aggressively enforce bans on fireworks and charcoal fires.

The checkpoints are randomly located today on Kyle Canyon Road on Kyle Canyon Road (State Route 157), Deer Creek Road (State Route 158) and Lee Canyon Road (State Route 156).

Authorities say they will be "aggressively enforcing all applicable laws and regulations." They say they plan to emphasize the prohibition of all fireworks — including the "safe and sane" variety — in the Mount Charleston and Lower Kyle Canyon areas.

Police say all visitors and residents should note the following:

• All fireworks prohibited on all federal lands, including the U.S. Forest Service and BLM properties.

• Charcoal barbeques are prohited on all federal lands, including U.S. Forest Service and BLM properties. However, gas grills are allowed. Wood fires are permitted only in the fire pits that are provided a hosted, fee-for-entry campsites.

Police say the fire danger in the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area is currently rated as "EXTREME." That's because below-normal snowfall has produced very dry conditions and high winds have reduced the moisture content in desert and mountain vegetation.

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