Elevated fire danger in South Central Pa. until Monday evening
National Weather Service warns of increased wildfire risk across several southern Pennsylvania counties due to dry fuels, low humidity and gusty winds.
The National Weather Service issued a weather alert at 5:13 a.m. on Monday for elevated fire danger until 7 p.m. for Cambria, Blair, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Somerset, Bedford, Fulton, Franklin, Perry, Dauphin, Schuylkill, Lebanon, Cumberland, Adams, York and Lancaster counties.
"The combination of drying fine fuels and leaf litter, low relative humidity of 35 to 40% and a southwesterly wind gusting between 20 and 30 mph during the late morning and afternoon hours, will create an elevated risk of wildfire spread across the southern half of Pennsylvania today. A few showers are possible during the mid to late morning hours today, but any rain will be brief and generally amounting to just a few hundredths of an inch. Residents are urged to exercise caution if handling any potential ignition sources, such as machinery, cigarettes, or matches. If dry grasses and tree litter begin to burn, the fire will have the potential to spread rapidly," explains the weather service.