North Andover Under Brush Fire Warning

Much of the Merrimack Valley, including North Andover, may be akin to kindling, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS has place the region, as well as much of southern New Hampshire and southern Maine, under a "red flag warning" for brush fire potential. The warning -- which is an upgrade from a general fire watch -- is in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday.

"A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly," the NWS warning reads. "A combination of strong winds and low relative humidity will create an elevated fire spread potential."

The recent spike in temperatures and lack of rain have made brush fires likely. February was one of the warmest on record, and the past couple weeks have been unseasonably warm, with temperatures spiking to the 80s this week. And it has only rained a handful of times in the past two months.

Winds are expected to be between 10 and 15 miles per hour Friday, with gusts up to 30 miles per hour. Temperatures are expected to be slightly cooler than yesterday, with highs in the low 70s. But relative humidity is expected to be very low, near 20 percent.