Red flag fire warning for all of NYS

[conman 40]

RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS FOR WESTERN NEW ENGLAND AND THE MID HUDSON VALLEY REGION OF EASTERN NEW YORK... * AFFECTED AREA... THE MID HUDSON VALLEY OF EASTERN NEW YORK AND ADJACENT WESTERN NEW ENGLAND. * WINDS... NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. * TIMING... LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY... AS LOW AS 13 PERCENT. * TEMPERATURES... IN THE LOWER 30S. * LIGHTNING... NONE. * IMPACTS... CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. 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... AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.

[firedude 985]

not just Ulster and Dutchess...

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY

1038 AM EDT TUE MAR 27 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING FOR THE ENTIRE TRI-STATE TODAY...

CTZ005>012-NJZ002-004-006-103>108-NYZ067>075-078>081-176>179-

272200-

/O.CON.KOKX.FW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120327T2200Z/

NORTHERN FAIRFIELD-NORTHERN NEW HAVEN-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX-

NORTHERN NEW LONDON-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN-

SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX-SOUTHERN NEW LONDON-WESTERN PASSAIC-

EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN-EASTERN BERGEN-

WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION-EASTERN UNION-ORANGE-

PUTNAM-ROCKLAND-NORTHERN WESTCHESTER-SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-

NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-BRONX-RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-

KINGS (BROOKLYN)-NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-

SOUTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-SOUTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-NORTHERN QUEENS-

NORTHERN NASSAU-SOUTHERN QUEENS-SOUTHERN NASSAU-

1038 AM EDT TUE MAR 27 2012

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING

FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...

* AFFECTED AREA...THE ENTIRE TRI-STATE AREA.

* WINDS...NORTHWEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...DROPPING INTO THE LOW TO MID TEENS.

* TIMING...THE STRONGEST WINDS AND LOWEST RH VALUES WILL BE DURING

THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS.

* IMPACTS...DUE TO METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS...ANY FIRES THAT

DEVELOP WILL LIKELY GROW AND SPREAD RAPIDLY. USE EXTREME

CAUTION IF PERFORMING OUTDOOR BURNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS

ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS...LOW

RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY FUELS WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE

GROWTH POTENTIAL.

&&

$$

From: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/okx/

[38ff 250]

Ulster County has a county wide ban on outdoor burning from March 15th to May 15th. I hope people arent stupid today.

[conman 40]

Too late. My friend back home texted me and said centerville has a woods fire. And sorry firedude, I got an email alert from ny alert that only sent me ulster and dutchess lol

[x129K 1,393]

Ulster County has a county wide ban on outdoor burning from March 15th to May 15th. I hope people arent stupid today.

Statewide

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Lots of grass, brush, field, woods fires up here the past couple weeks. People need to think...

[psyanide 11]

Lots of grass, brush, field, woods fires up here the past couple weeks. People need to think...

PFDRes47cue, people (not) thinking is an increasing issue. Consequences for actions in general (not just fire related) is something fewer people have any time for. Friday on my 14 mile commute home from work I witnessed an accident due to texting-and-driving, someone acciddently flick their cigarette into another person's car while stopped at a light, a pedestrian step in front of a biker (on the sidewalk, brilliant), and a car in front of me floored the gas when the RR lights started flashing. Before I run the risk of going on a tangent, I'll jump back on topic -

One thing that I think should at least slightly reduce brush fire risk is the new smoking ban on outdoor MTA property (effective 02/15). Although its rare to have a track fire in our town, it is not totally unheard of. Eliminating the risk of someone flicking a cigarette into the dry weeds beside the tracks will do some good at least. I cannot tell you the last time I saw a Smokey The Bear ad. What is a good method of broadly and easily making sure people pay more attention? Does your town do anything specific?