Firefighters are prepared for an “unprecedented extreme wind event” and near-record high temperatures to ignite the largest fire in the United States, which has already caused widespread devastation and forced thousands to flee.
U.S. forecasters warn that gusts could reach 60 miles per hour over the weekend, fueling the spread of wildfires in northeastern New Mexico that have burned more than 262 square miles in recent weeks.
At least 165 homes have exploded in flames since the blaze, while thousands more have been evacuated.
We hope that the actions taken to deal with the fire, including clearing vegetation and digging fire strips, will prevent it from reaching the city of Las Vegas, which is different from the larger and more famous namesake in Nevada.
Elmo Baka, chairman of the Las Vegas Community Foundation, said: “There is uncertainty and fear about how the winds will affect the fire every day.
“Once people are evacuated from an area, they can’t come back, so they just stay worried.”
The onset of the fire was followed in part by preventive work undertaken by the U.S. Forest Service in early April to reduce flammable shrubs.
Spreading out of control, it merged with another forest fire, the cause of which is unknown.
Long-term drought and higher temperatures caused by climate change are combined to exacerbate the threat of forest fires.
Image: Fire chiefs warn that flames could be carried up to a mile away
Forests in southern New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado have also seen devastating fires.
The commander of the incident, Dave Bales, said firefighters battling the current fire in northeastern New Mexico had dealt with strong winds before, but he said the current time could last five days or more.
He also warned that the flames could be carried up to a mile away.
“This is an extreme wind event that is unprecedented,” Mr Bales said.
Photo: The fire burned huge areas in northeastern New Mexico
Another major wildfire in New Mexico was within five miles of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the nation’s leading nuclear weapons research base.
Teams burned vegetation before the fire in an attempt to reduce its intensity.
In the laboratory, tankers with water, a helicopter and heavy equipment are in position and firefighters will patrol the perimeter if the flames approach.
Some nuclear watchdogs and environmentalists have expressed concerns about the site’s nuclear waste containers.
Laboratory officials said radiological and other potentially hazardous materials were stored in containers designed and tested to withstand extreme environments, including heat from fire.
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