Biggest US Wildfire Occurs in New Mexico, Fire Approaches Las Vegas

NEW MEXICOKOMPAS.com – Firefighters at New Mexico on Friday (29/4/2022), failed to extinguish the flames of forest fires largest in the United States (US).

The fire is still spreading to forest areas close to villages in the mountains.

Reported from Reuters, The disaster was the most destructive wildfire in the US Southwest as it spread more widely and burned earlier than usual this year due to climate change, scientists say.

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Thousands of people in the Mora valley, about 40 miles northeast of Santa Fe, prepared to evacuate as smoke emerged from the forest around the Ledoux farm.

Strong winds blew the embers for more than 1 mile (1.6 km) and made the forest fires continue to spread.

Since April 6, the fires have scorched about 30,351 hectares (303 sq km) of forested area of ​​the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, destroying hundreds of homes and buildings.

“It looks pretty awful in there,” incident commander Carl Schwope said at a briefing.

“With such a speed, it is very difficult for us to control the fire,” he added.

A New Mexico Fire Service official said winds were expected to blow from the south on Saturday, pushing the flames toward villages such as Mora, as well as the city. Las Vegas which is inhabited by 14,000 inhabitants.

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Mora County official Americk Padilla urged residents to evacuate to the towns of Taos and Angel Fire if asked.

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