Elevated Fire Threat Monday

A combination of low fuel moisture, low relative humidity and gusty winds makes for an elevated fire threat today, said the National Weather Service.

NWS issued a special weather statement Thursday morning forecasting that northwest winds averaging between 15 and 25 miles per hour today will gust in excess of 30 miles per hour. The relative humidity is expected to drop between 30 and 35 percent across the mid-Atlantic.

Because rainfall was relatively light fuel moistures are still low, said NWS. Open burning during this time of the year is considered dangerous as escaped debris burns are the number one cause of wildfires.