Red Flag Warning Issued for Rogue Valley Area & Northern California

Medford, Oregon- The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of southern Oregon and northern California, in effect until 9p Tuesday, warning of a high risk of wildfires due to abundant lightning on dry fuels.

Abundant lightning on dry fuels could result in numerous new fire starts, with the potential for rapid fire spread.

Affected area:

• California, all of Fire Weather Zone 282.

• Oregon, all of Fire Weather Zones 617, 620 and 622.

Forecasters say thunderstorms may bring scattered rainfall, but lightning outside of precipitation cores remains a significant threat. Gusty and erratic winds around storm cells could also complicate fire suppression efforts.

Abundant lightning on dry fuels could result in multiple ignitions and rapid fire spread, authorities warn.

Officials urge residents to follow local fire restrictions, stay signed up for emergency alerts, and prepare evacuation plans. A Red Flag Warning signals conditions are primed for wildfires to ignite and spread quickly, even if no fires are currently burning in the area.