Saturday afternoon, station 24 was dispatched to Ways Lane for a brush fire. Crews arrived on scene to find a large area of grass burned and spreading with the aid of high winds. The fire was under control quickly. The affected area was saturated using Brush and ATV 24.

It is important to remember during the brush season to pay attention to Red Flag Warnings, and DO NOT BURN during high wind and dry situations. It is especially important to be responsible when discarding ashes/embers.

Red Flag Warning - The National Weather Service (NWS) issues Red Flag Warnings & Fire Weather Watches to alert land management agencies about the onset, or possible onset, of critical weather and fuel moisture conditions that could lead to rapid or dramatic increases in wildfire activity. This could be due to low relative humidity, strong winds, dry fuels, or any combination thereof. You may have noticed that the Watch/Warning/Advisory map on our homepage turns red or orange when a Red Flag Warning or Fire Weather Watch is issued. Each year, the NWS coordinates with each state to implement a State Operating Plan related to fire weather services. Red flag criteria are set in these plans and vary from state to state. NWS Tallahassee serves portions of three states, each with their own red flag criteria. These criteria are summarized in the table below. (The National Weather Service).

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tae/?n=redflag