‘Red flag’ wildfire warning issued for Philadelphia region

The National Weather Service has issued a “red flag” warning for wildfires through 8 p.m. Wednesday for the Philadelphia region.

The warning extends to parts of Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, and Delaware Counties, as well as into the Poconos because of the warm temperatures, low humidity and wind gusts reaching to 30 mph.

A red flag warning means warm temperatures, combined with very low humidity and strong winds, combine to increase the risk of fire danger.

When the warning is in place, people should be especially cautious whenever lighting any fire, such as while camping and using charcoal grills. And they should not toss cigarettes or matches out of vehicles, which can ignite dry grass on the side of the road and lead to a wildfire.

Any fire should be drowned with plenty of water and stirred to make sure it is cold to the touch.

In red flag conditions, fires quickly can get out of control and are difficult for firefighters to contain.

So far this year, temperatures are above normal. Precipitation in January, despite the lack of measurable snow, was about average. But for February and March, precipitation ran a total of 3.4 inches below normal.

April has also started warm and dry and looks as if it will continue that way for a while with June-like temperatures the rest of this week.

The forecast for today calls for a high of 85 with lots of sun. Thursday and Friday look like carbon copies. The only chance of rain for the week comes Saturday, but even that chance only climbs to 50%.

» READ MORE: Pinelands wildfire grows to 3,859 acres, but crews make good progress fighting it

The current wildfire in South Jersey in the Pinelands region broke out Tuesday night amid weather conditions prime for fires.

Although conditions throughout the state presented a high risk of fire, the level had not been elevated to a red flag warning because winds were fairly low on Wednesday.