The Hermits Peak fire in the US state of New Mexico, which has been burning for more than a month, has already covered an area larger than the city of Chicago, reports the BBC.
Many families have been left homeless and thousands have been evacuated. The winds, almost record high temperatures and dry conditions are expected to ignite the fire, even more, BNR reports.
State Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called on people in mandatory evacuation zones to leave immediately. “Tonight we will enter an extremely dangerous period of extreme fires. As winds intensify, conditions may worsen and air support may be limited, “she wrote on Twitter.
Restaurants and grocery stores in Las Vegas have been closed, and schools have either been closed or switched to distance learning. US President Joe Biden this week declared New Mexico a disaster zone that would allow the state to receive federal resources, including financial aid.
Weather forecasters described the weather as “historic” and “extreme”, and the Albuquerque National Weather Service said its forecasters were “using extremely rare language” in their warning of “long duration and extreme fires”.
The fire covered more than 691 square kilometers. It is believed to have started on April 6 and subsequently merged with another forest fire.
The incidence of large forest fires has increased dramatically in recent decades. Compared to the 1970s, fires covering more than 40 square kilometers are now seven times more common in the western United States, according to Climate Central, an independent organization of scientists and journalists.
State of emergency in the Russian Krasnoyarsk Territory due to raging fires
A state of emergency has been declared in the Krasnoyarsk Territory of Russia, where many fires are raging due to strong winds, TASS reported, citing the region’s Ministry of Forestry.
Electricity has been cut off in several settlements to prevent new fires that could break out due to broken power lines due to strong winds, TASS reports.
About 200 buildings in 16 settlements are on fire, according to the regional department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Five people died.
