The lightning sparked several new small fires in the drought-stricken southwest
By SUSAN MONTOY BRIAN Associated Press
May 17, 2022, 4:31 p.m.
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The lightning sparked several new small fires on the affected southwest Monday, but thunderstorms brought welcome rain into the monstrous flames that have raged for a month in New Mexico and are now the largest in the state in recorded history.
“We haven’t seen rain in a very long time, so it’s exciting,” San Miguel County Sheriff Chris Lopez said Monday at a briefing on the largest active fire in the United States, burning east of Santa Fe.
“It gave us a breath of fresh air,” he said at a command post in Las Vegas, New Mexico, on the southeast flank of the fire, which charred 465 square miles (1,204 square kilometers).
More than 2,000 firefighters remain on the battle lines in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range south of Taos. The fire now covers an area almost a quarter the size of Delaware.
More than 260 homes were burned and more evacuations were called over the weekend as the fire spread through dry – and in some cases dead – pine and fir plantations. Huge pillars of smoke can be seen from miles away, and firefighters and weather forecasters continue to call it an unprecedented situation.
Intensified airstrikes also helped about 1,000 firefighters continue to advance on Monday in a major fire west of Santa Fe.
Richard Nieto, head of the wildlife fire department at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, said Monday night that authorities were preparing to ease the evacuation signals as crews repulsed the blaze about 3 miles (5 km) southwest of the federal border. of the laboratory.
New lightning fires on Monday included one about 2.5 miles (4 km) from Sedona, Arizona, but firefighters said Monday night it burned less than an acre and had low growth potential.
Forecasters said the weather will remain volatile throughout the week with variable winds and rising humidity. But crews need to enjoy at least one more day of more favorable fire conditions.
It should be a “good working day for the crews,” fire chief Stuart Turner said Monday night. “I have no idea of much growth.”
Monday’s postponement allowed ground crews to move into position to take advantage of delaying drops from air tankers and water spilled from helicopter buckets to expand contingency plans for reserve fire lines in the coming days further south. from Santa Fe and northeast to the Colorado line.
“We’re trying to think of a bigger box, a bigger picture,” said Nicki Johnny, a California incident commander who is helping with the fire, efforts to find places miles in front of the flames where crews can cut lines of fire and to mount a defense.
Fires are burning elsewhere in New Mexico and Colorado, as much of the West has had a particularly hot, dry, and windy spring. Forecasts for the rest of the season do not bode well, as drought and warmer weather caused by climate change exacerbate the risk of forest fires.
Colorado Springs imposed a fire ban after a series of fires spread quickly due to hot and dry conditions, including fatal ones caused by smoking. Under the ban, which takes effect Monday, smoking and grilling will be banned in parks in Colorado’s second-largest city, and people who bake at home will only be able to use gas or liquid fuel, not charcoal. or wood.
Bans on fires and restrictions on fires have also been imposed in cities and counties around New Mexico in recent weeks, with officials warning that any new fires will put additional strain on firefighting resources.
Across the country, about 2,030 square miles (5,258 square kilometers) have been burned so far this year – the most so far in 2018, according to the National Interdepartmental Fire Center.
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Associated Press writer Colleen Slevin of Denver and Scott Soner in Reno, Nevada, contributed to the report.
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