The National Weather Service in Morristown has issued a Red Flag Warning for the East Tennessee Mountains, which is in effect from noon today to 7 AM on Tuesday, for strong gusty winds and low humidity.
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are expected to occur shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior
South to southeast winds across the higher elevations and foothills will increase to between 25 and 50 mph this afternoon, then gusts will increase to between 40 and 70 mph tonight. Up to 80 mph gusts will be possible in some locations.
Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities on whether you can burn today. Use extreme caution when burning as fires may get out of hand quickly in these conditions.