The National Weather Service has released a statement concerning wildfire danger for extreme southeast Oklahoma, southwest and south-central Arkansas, northern and central Louisiana, and East Texas (including Lufkin and Nacogdoches). A late-season cold front has brought elevated fire weather conditions to this area.
What Does This Mean Concerning Outdoor Burning in Deep East Texas?
Most of East Texas is considered to be in a moderate-to-severe drought. As of this posting, county-wide burn bans are in place for Shelby, Tyler, Jasper, and Newton Counties. Even though no burn bans are in place for cities such as Lufkin, Nacogdoches, Crockett or San Augustine, outdoor burning today is highly discouraged.
Today, from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m., weather conditions will be favorable for wildfire growth. The relative humidity this afternoon is expected to be between 20-30%. That will feel great for afternoon activities, but it’s added fuel for possible fires. Also, sustained northeast to east winds around 10-15 mph are expected with gusts up to 20 mph…