Critical fire weather conditions are expected to return to southeastern Colorado on Wednesday, prompting the National Weather Service in Pueblo to issue its first-ever particularly dangerous situation red flag warning.

The agency’s Pueblo office implemented the new criteria for a PDS at the beginning of this year to better communicate “higher-end” events, senior meteorologist Steve Hodanish told The Gazette. The NWS created the criteria to warn the public of impending tornado outbreaks across the Midwest.

Wednesday’s PDS covers much of the San Luis Valley through the central and southern mountains spanning across all of Alamosa, Chaffee, Costilla and Lake counties, as well as parts of Conejos, Fremont, Huerfano, Las Animas, Pueblo, Rio Grande and Saguache counties.

“If a fire starts it’s not going to be a good day,” Hodanish warned. “This is not your normal red flag warning.”

A Particular Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning has been issued for parts of the region for Wednesday. Winds of 2o to 40 mph with gusts to 65 mph will be possible along with single digit humidity values. #cowx pic.twitter.com/Br0D5jjKaU

— NWS Pueblo (@NWSPueblo) April 21, 2026

All southeastern counties in Colorado will be under a red flag warning from 10 a.m. to midnight Wednesday as fires “will catch and spread rapidly and erratically,” the warning reads.

Outside of the PDS, humidity levels are forecast as low as 7% with southern winds gusting up to 45 mph. Weather service meteorologists in Pueblo are forecasting wind gusts from 50 to 65 mph within the PDS.

Hodanish cautioned people under the warning to be careful and avoid welding, improperly discarding cigarettes and driving cars that scrape on the ground.

“Don’t do anything that could possibly create a spark,” Hodanish said.

The NWS in Pueblo has also issued a fire weather watch across much of southeastern Colorado on Thursday with possible single-digit humidity values and wind gusts up to 50 mph.

The critical conditions will arrive as three active wildfires continue to burn in the area.

The Schwachheim fire that has been burning southeast of Trinidad in Las Animas County was 90% contained at 1,582 acres, officials said in an update Tuesday.

At Fort Carson, crews are battling an 800-acre fire in its large impact area east of Gates 10 and 12 along Colorado 115 that began Monday evening, according to previous Gazette reporting. Smoke was visible throughout Tuesday as firefighters set controlled burns to contain the spread.

Meanwhile a 63-acre fire that ignited late Monday in Crowley County appeared to be under control with no active threats, local fire and rescue teams posted on social media.