What’s a red flag warning, and what does it mean for California fires?

Several wildfires are burning across Northern California, including one of the largest recorded fires in the state’s history.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning until 9 p.m. Thursday for much of the northeastern parts of the state where 11 wildfires are burning.

The warning serves as the highest alert resulting from “extreme fire behavior” like dry, windy and hot temperatures, according to Cal Fire.

Weather conditions under this alert are urgent because they can intensify the rapid spread of existing and new fires, the weather service said. The current alert warns of wind gusts up to 35 mph and low humidity.

Parts of California will also experience triple digit temperatures.

“Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly,” the weather service reported. “Outdoor burning is not recommended.”

The Dixie Fire is now the sixth largest wildfire in California’s history, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported. It has swelled to 322,502 acres since igniting July 14, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

US Storm Watch estimated the Dixie Fire’s flames are soaring as high as 50-100 feet tall in a tweet.

Low humidity and winds caused the fire to grow 50,000 acres overnight, officials said on Thursday.

This story was originally published August 5, 2021 at 1:22 PM.

Helena Wegner

McClatchy DC

Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.