Meteorologists reveal 10 US states are at higher wildfire risk

• Humidity and wind conditions could cause wildfires to start and spread in NE
• Gusty and dry weather creates circumstances where small blazes can spread
• READ MORE: Smoke from West Coast wildfires can spread as far as New York

Meteorologists have released a new map warning residents of 10 US states that they are at higher-than-usual risk of wildfires.

These states, all in the Northeast, received a warning from the National Weather Service (NWS) that low humidity and gusty winds have combined to raise their wildfire risk.

The alarm was sounded for Americans in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Maine.

And some of these states are continuing burn bans longer throughout the year due to the predicted severity of the 2024 wildfire season.

The alarm was sounded for residents in Kentucky , West Virginia , Virginia, Pennsylvania , Delaware, Maryland , New Jersey , New York, Vermont and Maine

A pile of leaves and a sapling catch fire along Peake Mountain Road during a wildfire, Wednesday, March 20, 2024, near Rawley Springs, Virginia.

READ MORE: Dramatic time-lapse shows wildfire smoke consume NYC skyline

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‘Dry conditions with gusty winds are expected across the region today. Minimum relative humidity values will drop as low as 20 percent in some areas with south to southwest wind gusts of 20 to 30 mph during the afternoon,’ read a warning from the NWS office in Binghamton, New York.

‘Although this Spring has been wet, fine fuels such as dead grass and leaf litter will quickly dry out in these conditions,’ the Special Weather Statement continued.

‘If any fires were to start, the windy and dry weather will increase the risk of wildfire spread, making it difficult to contain.’

Because of the dry weather, the state of New York is keeping its burn ban in place until May 14.

Some types of outdoor fires are still allowed, including campfires and small cooking fires less than three feet in height and four feet across.

Ceremonial or celebratory fires, too, are allowed – including those for the disposal of flags or religious items, according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

But because of the risk that fire will spread to the dry grasses and brush nearby, burning trash, branches, leaves, or treated wood is prohibited until May 14, when conditions are expected to make wildfires less likely.

The west coast of the US has earned a reputation for forest fires in recent years, but this wildfire in Virginia covered over 2,000 acres at the end of March this year.

The National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh issued this warning that the conditions were right for wildfires.

Farther west, the NWS office of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania issued the following warning on X on Tuesday: ‘…ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING FOR WEST VIRGINIA AND PENNSYLVANIA… Relative humidity will drop to between 15% and 25% with winds gusting from 20 mph to 30 mph at times. These conditions make it possible for an increased risk of wildfires today.’

NWS lead meteorologist David Shallenberger told Newsweek that the special weather statement in the Northeast is not likely to lead to a red flag warning – a forecast warning that conditions are ideal for wildfires to start and rapidly spread.

‘We are starting to green up now, and we just had a period of rainfall,’ he said. ‘The moisture in things that could burn has been relatively high lately.’

The risk is temporary, but officials emphasized that residents of these 10 states should take extra caution for the time being.

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