Strong Winds Spread Wildfires Across US Southwest

California Wildfires
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On Friday, howling winds drove wildfires near settlements in northern New Mexico, forcing hundreds of people to abandon their homes as fires raged across the arid United States Southwest, Reuters reports.

According to local officials, two fires combined in the highlands roughly 30 miles northeast of Santa Fe, pushed by strong winds of above 60 mph (97 kph).

Fire tracking site Inciweb informed that the Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak flames merged around 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas, New Mexico.

The fires were among a slew of others raging across the Southwest, fueled by a decades-long drought and an abundance of dry vegetation, fueling fears that the region might face a particularly brutal fire season.

Fire behavior expert Stewart Turner told a conference that sparks were transported a mile ahead of New Mexico fires, sparking new fires as flames swept over the forest canopy.

According to scientists, rising temperatures have reduced winter snowpacks, allowing bigger and more severe fires to begin earlier in the year. According to climate experts, the long-running drought has been exacerbated by human-caused climate change.

The Cooks Peak fire erupted 35 miles east of Taos, New Mexico, threatening the Philmont Scout Ranch and the community of Cimarron. The Tunnel fire in Flagstaff, which has burnt scores of homes, has been brought under control by firefighters in Arizona.

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