Firefighters on alert as red flag fire warning issued for Tri-Cities

Gusty winds forecast for Sunday and Monday will increase the danger of any wildfires spreading rapidly in the Mid-Columbia, says the National Weather Service.

It has issued a red flag fire warning from 2 p.m. Sunday to 9 p.m. Monday for the Tri-Cities and surrounding area. Strong winds and very low humidity could create dangerous fire weather conditions, with only limited relief from low humidity at night, the weather service said.

Wind gusts of up to 20 mph are expected Sunday night and gusts of up to 18 mph are expected Monday night in the Tri-Cities.

Highs are expected in the upper 90s Sunday and in the lower 90s Monday in the Tri-Cities.

This story was originally published July 8, 2017 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Firefighters on alert as red flag fire warning issued for Tri-Cities."