Heat and wind raise red flag warning for fires in Clark County

The red flag warning signaling high fire danger issued for Clark County on Tuesday will continue into Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

Wind gusts are expected to reach 30 mph through Wednesday night, and with high temperatures and humidity under 10 percent, meteorologists are warning that “erratic fire behavior” is likely if any blazes break out.

“Any fires that do happen to start could be very quick growth,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Boothe.

The warning, which started 11 a.m. Tuesday, will remain in place until Wednesday around 8 p.m.

Boothe said boaters on Lake Mead might encounter some rough conditions.

“It’s not a smooth ride on the lake. The wind will drive the waves up over a foot, some areas closer to two feet,” Boothe said.

Temperatures are forecast to dip back to around the seasonal norm after Tuesday’s high of 108. Wednesday should see a high of 106, followed by 105 on Thursday, 104 on Friday, and 105 again through the weekend.

Chances of rain remain below 5 percent through the weekend, although the valley may start to see monsoon-season weather next week, the weather service said.

Meteorologist Clay Morgan said the valley seems to be overdue for monsoon season.

“On average it seems to kick in right around July 4; we’re a couple weeks late this year,” he said.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Katelyn Newberg contributed to this report.