WICHITA — Barton County is included in a red flag warning for extreme grassland fire danger until 7 p.m. Tuesday, issued by the National Weather Service in Wichita.
Counties included are Russell, Lincoln, Barton, Ellsworth, Rice, Reno, Kingman and Harper in the Wichita NWS area. Counties west of Great Bend are also included in the red flag warning.
Winds are forecast to 15 to 25 mph from the northwest with gusts up to 35 mph. Relative humidities are forecast to be as low as 20 percent. Goodland reported a humidity of 16 percent with northwest winds from 20 to 40 mph.
Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and become very difficult to control. outdoor burning is not  recommended.
A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.