The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for east slopes of the Oregon Coast Range region, which includes Philomath. The warning begins at 11 a.m. Friday and is currently scheduled to end at 11 p.m. Saturday.
The NWS issues a red flag warning when the potential for high fire danger and extreme fire behavior exists. According to the weather agency, northeast winds of 10 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph, are expected. Relative humidity is projected to be as low as 15%.
The red flag warning comes one day after the NWS had issued a fire weather watch. Under a fire weather watch, the public is instructed to be prepared for fire conditions while a red flag warning indicates that fire conditions are ongoing or expected to occur within 24 hours.
A total burn restriction for all of Benton County went into effect Thursday and will remain in place until Monday morning, according to information distributed by the Benton County Fire Defense Board.
For those with questions, call 211, the local fire department or the Oregon Department of Forestry.