WICHITA — Barton County and neighboring counties were placed in a red flag warning for an extreme fire danger through 7 p.m. Wednesday by the National Weather Service in Wichita.
Other counties included are Russell, Lincoln, Ellsworth, Rice, Saline, McPherson and Reno counties. Temperatures were rising into the 80s Wednesday afternoon.
Wind are forecast to be southerly from 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Relative humidity will be as low as 30 percent.
Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and become very difficult to control. Outdoor burning is not recommended. A fire developed in Stafford and Barton counties Tuesday north of the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge.
A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.
After the fire danger is over, there is the chance of a few strong to severe thunderstorms possible Wednesday night  across portions of central Kansas.