I increasingly wonder why @NWS has not implemented public-facing fire weather index w/multiple gradations beyond simple "Red Flag." Differentiation between "marginal" & truly "exceptional" events would be practically useful (as @bom_AU has implemented in Australia). #CAwx #CAfire

I know there are indeed internal metrics like this at local NWS offices, as well as at @NIFC_Fire, & @NWSSPC uses 3-tiered risk system ("elevated, critical, & extremely critical"), but there is little/no public awareness of these metrics--which could aid in local decision-making.

I hear folks in wildfire hazard zones increasingly asking: "Is *this* Red Flag Warning a *Big One*? Should we postpone our trip to the forest? Do I need to sleep with one eye open?" We need a systematic way of answering these kinds of questions as background risks increase.