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By Alia Shoaib
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A red flag warning has been issued in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, meaning that there is a high risk of fires occurring.
The warnings, issued by the National Weather Service (NWS), will be active until late Monday evening.
The NWS said that conditions will be favorable for fires to grow and spread at rapid rates due to combinations of strong winds, warm temperatures and low humidity. These factors "contribute to extreme fire behavior," it added.
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The red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly.
The affected areas include several parts of Arizona, such as areas of the Desert Grasslands and Coconino Plateau.
Parts of Colorado's Southern Front Range are affected, as are areas of New Mexico's southwestern desert and mountain regions, along with the southern Rio Grande Valley.
In some places, winds could reach up to 55 mph, the NWS said.
A red flag warning is a more extreme alert than a fire weather watch, which is issued when the NWS believes that red flag conditions are possible.
Mark Wankowski, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Pueblo, Colorado, previously told Colorado Public Radio what residents should avoid doing if a red flag warning is issued.
He said people should avoid doing "anything that would cause a spark"—including lighting campfires and burning waste, but can also include less obvious activities.
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Wankowski said that if a lawnmower hits a rock and creates a spark, this could also start a wildfire. Similar warnings apply to farmers using machinery.
"They should not be working in their fields or using something that could cause a spark," Wankowski said.
He warned that the majority of wildfires are caused by people, and people should therefore be cautious when conditions are conducive to the rapid spread of fire.
The NWS press office has been approached for comment on this story.
On Saturday night, a wildfire broke out in Tonto National Forest, Arizona, burning thousands of acres.
Wildfires have long been a significant hazard in many parts of the U.S., and have been increasing in number and size in recent years. Researchers speculate that this is due to drier conditions caused by climate change.
There have already been 14,363 wildfires that have burned 1,866,415 acres across the country as of May 17, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Climate experts previously told Newsweek that climate change is anticipated to make weather events like hurricanes or wildfires more severe due to increased ocean temperatures, heat waves and/or drought.
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