Oct. 19--Monday was a nice day to burn leaves or branches and stay ahead of the fall, but the National Weather Service cautioned against it, issuing a red flag warning.
"Today is one of those days where you do not want to be doing any outdoor burning, '' said David Beachler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The warning was issued because of extremely low humidity, gusty winds and lots of sunshine, Beachler said, noting that the weather has been very dry for the past six weeks.
"When we have all those conditions together, the cumulative result is that if there was a fire that was started, it's very likely that it could get out of control if people aren't careful,'' he said.
The warning was to remain in effect until 7 p.m. Beachler did not believe the warning would be issued Tuesday because there it is expected to be cloudy with a possibility of rain.
Beachler said the warning has been issued from time to time for the last 10 years. "This is not anything new," he said.
The forecast for Monday was a high of about 70 degrees with gusts up to 30 or 40 mph. Winds were expected to diminish to 15-20 mph in the evening with overnight temperatures in the mid 50s. Tuesday should be in the low 70s with a "slight chance'' of showers, according to Beachler.
Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said "sustained winds'' can make fires in the city more dangerous.
"The windier it is, the more intense a house fire will be,'' Langford said. "With a windy situation, a normally routine house fire could become a second-alarm fire.
"It's the same for blowing on coals in a fireplace. It's the same effect. The air moving faster gives the flames more oxygen to work it. It's replacing the oxygen the fire is consuming, hence the fire tends to consume more,'' Langford said. "It could literally be blown from one room to another.''
