West experiencing record heat, fire danger as wildfire smoke reduces air quality

(NEW YORK) — Dozens of fires are burning throughout the West as parts of the country remain under advisories for high temperatures.

Red flag warnings are in place for Northern California and parts of Oregon due to dry thunderstorms possible on Wednesday. The storms bring little to no rain but still produce lightning and strong wind gusts, which can start new fires and exacerbate existing fires. Dry, warm conditions also continue.

In Washington’s Cascade Mountains, a red flag warning is in place for Thursday due to relative humidity dropping to 12% in places and high temperatures in the valleys between 97 and 102 degrees and 85 to 90 degrees in the mountains. These hot, dry conditions will lead to potential rapid fire growth.

High temperatures and heat alerts are forecast for the Northwe