PDS Red Flag Warnings issued for eastern Cascades as strong winds and low humidity raise fire risk

The National Weather Service offices in Pendleton, Oregon, and Spokane, Washington, have issued "Particularly Dangerous Situation" (PDS) red flag warnings for several zones east of the Cascades on Saturday, while other areas are under standard red flag warnings. The warnings cover portions of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties in Oregon, as well as the Lower Columbia River Basin and parts of Wheeler and Grant counties.

"This is the first time these particular warnings have been issued by those offices," Storm Tracker 2 digital meteorologist Bobby Corser said. "Strong westerly winds mixed with very low relative humidity will create the potential for rapid fire growth across the region." The Storm Prediction Center placed all of central and eastern Oregon under a critical fire-risk level and designated central and eastern Washington, north-central Oregon and the northern Lower Columbia River Basin as "extremely critical," the highest of three risk categories. The agency noted that several large wildfires are already active and that extreme fire-behavior conditions are approaching the 95th percentile. A dry cold front is expected to bring sustained westerly winds of 20-30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph, further drying fuels. The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center warned that the combination of strong winds and extremely dry fuels could lead to rapid fire spread and significant safety concerns on Saturday. KATU will continue to monitor the situation.