Increased risk of fire spread in Lehigh Valley, weather service warns

Humidity and higher temperatures could cause “rapid spread” of fires Tuesday in the Lehigh Valley, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters with the local weather service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey, said minimum humidity values between 20 and 30 percent, combined with winds with gusts between 20 and 30 mph and temperatures in the upper 50s, could lead to fire spread Tuesday afternoon. The conditions, coupled with fine fuels drying, could support the spread of any fires that ignite, the weather service said.

Fires that spread could quickly become difficult to control, according to forecasters. Officials discourage outdoor burning..