A large portion of eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois and northeast Missouri is under an Elevated Fire Danger alert today due to a combination of strong winds, warm temperatures and low humidity levels that could quickly allow fires to spread.
The National Weather Service says southwest winds are expected to gust up to 30 miles per hour throughout the day Monday. Dry conditions combined with the gusty winds will create an environment where any fire that starts could spread rapidly and become difficult for crews to contain.
Officials are strongly discouraging outdoor burning and are asking residents to use caution with any outdoor equipment that could create sparks. People are also urged not to discard cigarettes on the ground or from vehicles.
The alert includes the following Iowa counties: Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque, Benton, Linn, Jones, Jackson, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, Clinton, Muscatine, Scott, Keokuk, Washington, Louisa, Jefferson, Henry, Des Moines, Van Buren and Lee counties.
In Illinois, the alert covers Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Carroll, Whiteside, Rock Island, Henry, Bureau, Putnam, Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Hancock and McDonough counties.
In Missouri, the elevated fire danger includes Scotland and Clark counties.
