More Of NM Has Burned In Jan-Apr 2022 Than In All Of 2021; Drought & Wind Fueling Multiple Fires 5/1
Forecasters in New Mexico are warning of worsening fire conditions this weekend, with gusts expected to pick up as firefighters attempt to contain wildfires that have been burning unusually hot and fast for weeks.
Much of the state is under either extreme or exceptional drought conditions, the two worst levels, which have turned parts of the state into a tinderbox. The National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued a red flag warning across much of the eastern part of the state for Sunday, after high winds Friday fueled large fires in the region.
Winds in the region were expected to pick up to 20 to 30 mph Sunday, with gusts as high as 45 mph, said Chuck Jones, a senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. Those winds could help the fire spread more quickly, pushing flames into tree canopies or blowing embers. New Mexico has already seen more fire damage in the first four months of 2022 than all of last year. Already, 199 fires have burned 187,477 acres in the state this year, according to data from the Southwest Coordination Center. New Mexico officials have warned of a long and dangerous fire season, as it is unusual to have so many fires burning this early in the year.
Gusts as high as 60 mph Friday fueled the severe Calf Canyon and Hermit’s Peak Fires, expanding the blaze by more than 30,000 acres in a single day and forcing residents in nearby areas to evacuate. The U.S. Forest Service reported that the area would see lingering smoke conditions Saturday. A government website projected “extreme fire behavior” in the area for the next 72 hours, in part due to the high winds.
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State Rep. Roger Montoya, a Democrat representing some of the northeast counties affected by the fires, shared images of the destruction Friday on Twitter.
Link to tweet
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/04/30/new-mexico-wildfires/