# Red Flag Warning Issued for Parts of Wyoming and South Dakota

> Critical fire weather conditions, including gusty winds and low humidity, prompted a Red Flag Warning for areas in northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-23T16:44:12.339734Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/red-flag-warning-issued-for-parts-of-wyoming-and-south-dakota-4097b8c4

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Rapid City, South Dakota, issued a Red Flag Warning on Friday, October 23, 2026 [1]. The warning was issued at 10:42 AM MDT and remained in effect until 11:00 PM MDT that evening [1]. This warning covered several areas, including the Northern Foot Hills, Butte County Area, Northern Campbell, Southern Campbell, Crook County Plains, Weston County Plains, and the Wyoming Black Hills [1]. A Red Flag Warning was also in effect from 11 AM to 11 PM MDT Friday for similar areas, including Northern Campbell, Southern Campbell, Crook County Plains, and Weston County Plains [2][5].

A national forecasting center identified a critical fire weather threat for Friday over a small portion of northeast Wyoming, far southeastern Montana, and far western South Dakota [4]. This threat was attributed to a deepening low-pressure system over eastern Montana and a strong jet stream ahead of an incoming upper-level trough [4].

Forecasters predicted widespread critical fire weather conditions due to a combination of factors [1][2][5]. Warm temperatures and humidity as low as 13% were expected [1][2][5]. Southwest winds were forecast to gust up to 50 mph ahead of an approaching cold front [1][2][5]. Over northeastern Wyoming, sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts reaching 40 to 50 mph, were anticipated after 10 AM Friday morning through the afternoon [1][5]. In the Gillette, Wyoming, area, dry and windy conditions were contributing to high fire risk, with the NWS in Riverton predicting gusts up to 55 mph and a high of 72 degrees Fahrenheit [3].

Winds were expected to shift to the northwest after midnight as the cold front moved through [1][5]. While some showers might accompany the front, widespread wetting rains were not expected [1][5]. These conditions make rapid wildfire growth possible [1][2][4][5].

## Evidence cited
1. NWS Red Flag Warning: Northern Foot Hills; Butte County Area; Northern Campbell; Southern Campbell; Crook County Plains; Weston County Plains; Wyoming Black Hills (nws_alerts) — https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.aac6213a2016da4c21f25dc4dabe43c7bc038ec9.001.1
2. Red Flag Warning — Oct 22 for Northern Campbell #11883552 | iAlert. (ialert.com) — https://ialert.com/
3. Fire risk high on Friday as winds return to Gillette area - County 17 (county17.com) — https://county17.com/2026/10/23/fire-risk-high-on-friday-as-winds-return-to-gillette-area/
4. Why is Sheridan County under a red flag warning, and what should residents do? (rollingout.com) — https://rollingout.com/2026/10/22/why-is-sheridan-county-under-a-red-flag-warning-and-what-should-residents-do/
5. Fire Weather (weather.gov) — https://www.weather.gov/unr/fire