High fire weather danger prominent in northern Sierra through Wednesday night

The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a Red Flag Warning through 11 p.m. on Wednesday due to high fire danger throughout the region.

The warning encompasses southern Washoe County, Carson City, Douglas, Storey and Lyon counties.

Red flag warnings are issued when conditions are unfavorable and may lead to dangerous wildfire growth. A combination of fuels, relative humidity and winds speeds are considered before a warning is issued.

NWS Reno says the combination of gusty winds and low humidity can cause fires to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can tend to them.

Winds out of the west to southwest 20 to 25 miles with gusts up to 35 mph are forecasted.

Fire officials urge residents to limit any activities that could spark a wildfire like open burns, campfires, target shooting, throwing cigarettes and other flammable materials,