Red Flag Warning

Locations Affected

Tampa, FL ∙ Saint Petersburg, FL ∙ Cape Coral, FL ∙ Lakeland, FL ∙ Clearwater, FL ∙ Largo, FL ∙ Fort Myers, FL ∙ Sarasota, FL ∙ North Port, FL ∙ Bradenton, FL

Headline

...CRITICALLY LOW HUMIDITY WITH GUSTY WINDS AND A MODERATE SIGNIFICANT FIRE POTENTIAL WILL RESULT IN AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER TODAY AND AGAIN ON TUESDAY...

Full Alert Message

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Tampa Bay Ruskin FL 1015 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026 ...CRITICALLY LOW HUMIDITY WITH GUSTY WINDS AND A MODERATE SIGNIFICANT FIRE POTENTIAL WILL RESULT IN AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER TODAY AND AGAIN ON TUESDAY... ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR West Central and Southwest Florida... * AFFECTED AREA...Sumter, Pinellas, Polk, Hardee, Highlands, DeSoto, Coastal Levy, Coastal Citrus, Coastal Hernando, Coastal Pasco, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, Coastal Charlotte, Coastal Lee, Inland Levy, Inland Citrus, Inland Hernando, Inland Pasco, Inland Hillsborough, Inland Manatee, Inland Sarasota, Inland Charlotte and Inland Lee. * TIMING...Until 8 PM EDT this evening. * WINDS...East 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 29 percent. * IMPACTS...Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 dry fuels can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

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