- Several major forest and bush fires have broken out in the US state of New Mexico.
- The fires would be favored by dry and hot weather and by strong winds, according to the fire brigades.
- The US weather service does not foresee any change in the weather for the affected areas in the coming days.
Long periods of drought have become more frequent in large parts of the western United States in recent years. Experts say it has something to do with climate change. The state of New Mexico currently has six forest and bush fires in total.
Legend:
Authorities had asked local residents to evacuate their homes because of the fire.
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Firefighters had tried to contain the raging forest fires in New Mexico on Saturday from the air. However, afternoon storms sometimes blew up to 96 kilometers per hour and had brought the operation to a standstill. In all, New Mexico fought at least six wildfires.
Legend:
Of those six fires, the worst raged in the mountains and canyons east of the capital, Santa Fe.
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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said, “These are the worst possible conditions for the fires.” According to official information, in the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon area alone, an area of over 697 square kilometers burned on Saturday, which is roughly the size of the canton of Glarus. At least 170 houses were destroyed and around 16,000 people evacuated, according to the authorities.