The National Weather Service is warning of a serious fire weather threat today, with conditions ripe for the rapid spread of fires across a large part of the eastern United States.  Red Flag Warnings are up for all of Delaware, much of Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, the northern two-thirds of Georgia, most of central Alabama, and eastern Tennessee. A Red Flag Warning is also up for southern Arizona and New Mexico elsewhere in the U.S..

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior in the Red Flag Warning zones. The combination of gusty winds and low humidity will create critical fire weather conditions. The National Weather Service strongly discourages any outdoor burning until the fire weather threat passes.