The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of the Chicago area Friday, with wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour in the forecast. The warning comes as wind advisories and high wind watches were also been issued across the Chicago area both Friday and Saturday.

A red flag warning does not necessarily mean there is a fire ongoing – extreme fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly, according to the NWS. If a fire does start, it has the potential to quickly become extreme due to the critical fire weather conditions.

A red flag warning is different than a fire warning. A red flag warning means conditions exist that could lead to a wildfire. A fire warning is issued when there is an active fire spreading that is threatening life and property.