Nine states on the East Coast are warning of wildfires

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) issued special weather advisories for nine states on the East Coast on Friday, warning of increased fire conditions.

Concerns about wildfires come as many states across the country are grappling with unusually dry conditions and warmer-than-average temperatures. Much of the Northeast is considered unusually dry, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map, with some states dealing with moderate and severe drought. The weather has created favorable conditions for wildfires to start and spread quickly, leading to the NWS special weather reports.

The forecast includes portions of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC

The NWS said that in most areas, low relative humidity, gusty winds and the presence of dry fuels “will support the spread of fires that ignite.”

“Burning outdoors is strongly discouraged. “Be sure to properly extinguish or dispose of all potential ignition sources, including smoking materials such as cigarette butts,” it said in a statement.

NWS meteorologist Bill Goodman said Newsweek that the highest risk will be Saturday.

“No rain is forecast until next Friday. It’s bone dry,” said Goodman, who works in the New York forecast office. “Some of the locations for which we maintain climate records will likely ultimately have the driest calendar month on record. This is pretty unusually dry.”

Many forecast regions issued similar warnings about weather conditions.

“Due to the combination of dry conditions and gusty winds, increased fire conditions are expected, particularly during the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. period on Saturday,” the Baltimore office's statement said. “During the day, relative humidity levels are expected to be around 30 percent, along with sustained northwest winds of 15 to 20 mph and gusts of 25 to 30 mph. This will result in rapid drying of fine fuels such as grass, leaves and small shrubs.”

“Residents and visitors are urged to exercise caution when handling open flames or devices that produce sparks,” the statement said. “Also, dispose of cigarette butts, matches and other flammable items in appropriate containers. Keep vehicles off dry grass and follow local burn bans. Most dry grasses, dead leaves and other tree debris can easily ignite and spread a fire quickly.”

The central United States could see a break from dry weather next week, according to the NWS Climate Prediction Center's six- to 10-day precipitation forecast. However, below average rainfall is still expected in the northeast.

Unfortunately, below average rainfall is expected for three to four weeks in the Northeast.