Mexico: Fueled by high winds and drought, wildfires starting more than one month ago continue burning in US state of New Mexico, threatening more communities in the Rocky Mountain foothills while forcing some local schools going virtual.
The Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire, which started over a month ago and has threatened communities east of Santa Fe, has consumed more than 203,000 acres and is the country’s largest active wildfire, according to fire officials. It is among more than a dozen wildfires sweeping across the American Southwest.
Dry, above-normal temperatures and erratic wind gusts, which can make the direction and speed of the fires unpredictable, have complicated efforts to curtail the spread of the fires in recent weeks.
“Critical to extreme” fire conditions, including damaging winds, high temperatures and very low humidity have plagued New Mexico for weeks, prompting evacuations of communities and record-setting wildfires.
Wildfires are increasing in size and intensity in the Western United States, and wildfire seasons are growing longer. Recent research has suggested that the heat and dryness associated with global warming are major reasons for the increase in bigger and stronger fires.
The Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire is the second largest on record in New Mexico, after a fire that burned through more than 297,000 acres in 2012, and it has eclipsed the total acreage lost to fires in the state in 2021.
The Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak fires started separately last month, but by April 22 they had merged. The authorities are investigating how the Calf Canyon fire started, but the Hermits Peak fire was ignited in a prescribed burn, which is a forest management tool intended to clear out the undergrowth that can fuel volatile wildfires.
