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Strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity continued to ignite Sunday’s blaze on a devastating wildfire that has already scorched more than 275 square miles in northern New Mexico.
“Extremely dangerous and probable historical period from critical to extreme fire weather conditions will continue in the middle of next week,” the National Meteorological Service in Albuquerque warned on Saturday.
More than 1,500 firefighters are battling the Hermites and Calf Canyon fires, which are raging northeast of Santa Fe and only 21% have been contained.
Strong winds of up to 50 miles per hour have complicated firefighters’ efforts by keeping paddle planes on the ground periodically over the weekend.
“The wind is amazing. It’s a precedent, the strength of the wind we will have and the duration we will have,” Todd Abel, a spokesman for the National Forest Fire Coordination Group, told a news conference on Sunday.
NEW BREATHING FIRE IN MEXICO CATCHED IN NASA SATELLITE IMAGES
The Albuquerque National Weather Service issued a red flag warning on Saturday, which will remain in effect until Monday night, citing “very strong winds, several hours of single-digit humidity, above-average heat and a very volatile atmosphere.”
The Hermit Peak fire began more than a month ago when a prescribed burn in the Santa Fe National Forest spiraled out of control due to “unexpected intermittent winds.” The Calf Canyon fire started about two weeks later and eventually merged with the Hermits Peak fire.
Thousands of residents have already been forced to evacuate, and dismissal spokesman Todd Abel warned that residents who have not yet done so but are on evacuation orders could cause congestion if they wait any longer.
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President Biden announced a major disaster in the area on Thursday, which will allow those affected by the fires to receive temporary housing, home repairs and other benefits during the recovery.
About 1986 square miles have already been burned in the United States this year, the most since 2018 at this stage of the year, according to the National Interdepartmental Fire Center.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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