A combination of hot, dry and windy weather is increasing fire weather danger across the Southwest, and it’s expected to last through until at least Tuesday, if not longer.

Red flag warnings are in place across much of the Southwest for Monday and into Tuesday, the strongest signal of the anticipated fire weather danger for the early part of the week.

As usual with increased fire danger, particularly in this part of the country this time of the year, it’s largely owing to a combination of hot temperatures, windy conditions and a lack of moisture in the atmosphere. That’s expected to largely be the case in the Four Corners states as well as into parts of interior California, much of Nevada (including Las Vegas) and parts of the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles as well.

By Tuesday, though, the fire danger will concentrate more heavily into Utah and northern Arizona, along with far western Colorado.

An ongoing drought in the already arid region isn’t helping matters, either. A large swath of the Four Corners states are considered to be in a severe drought, and some areas are in an extreme drought, as of the U.S. Drought Monitor’s most recent update.

That’s already spurred several fires across the region, specifically the Bighorn Fire near Tucson.

A supertanker dumping flame retardant Thursday in support of ground crews fighting the Bighorn Fire, as seen by a AZGFD Tucson staffer among up to nine working there. The fire has burned more than 7,000 acres and is ten percent contained. By Mike Richins. pic.twitter.com/tB5KIo00fz

— AZ Game & Fish Dept (@azgfdTucson) June 12, 2020

Unfortunately, the sizzling heat across the region isn’t going anywhere, with little-to-no rain chances either. Temperatures in Phoenix, for example, are expected to stay at or above average for the rest of the week ahead, with perhaps an extra spike by the upcoming weekend. That’s obviously not good news for suppressing the fire danger across the Southwest.

With increased fire danger like this week’s, avoid anything with a spark outdoors – specifically being especially careful with cigarettes, parking cars on dry grass, and of course, avoid having any sort of campfire.

Stay with WeatherNation for the latest on the warm, windy and dry weather leading to the increased fire danger across the Southwest.