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Largest US wildfire rages out of control in New Mexico
The Alarabiya English reported, citing Reuters, firefighters in New Mexico failed on Friday (Apr 29) to pin back the flames of the United States’ largest wildfire, which is burning perilously close to a string of mountain villages.
Scientists say, the blaze is the most destructive of dozens in the US Southwest that are more widespread and burning earlier than normal in the year due to climate change.
Thousands of people in the Mora valley, about 64 kilometers northeast of Santa Fe, prepared to evacuate as smoke billowed from forest around the nearby farming community of Ledoux.
High winds blew embers over a mile, spreading a wildfire that has scorched about 75,000 acres (30,351 hectares), or 117 square miles (303 sq km), of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains since April 6, destroying hundreds of homes and structures.
Incident commander Carl Schwope told a briefing: “It looks very scary out there. With the rate of spread, it’s very difficult for us to get any fire control.”
Fire officials said that winds were expected to blow from the south on Saturday, pushing the blaze towards villages such as Mora, as well as the city of Las Vegas, with a population of 14,000.
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Mora County sheriff’s official Americk Padilla said: “It’s coming, and it’s here,” urging residents to evacuate to the towns of Taos and Angel Fire if requested.
Fire expert Stewart Turner said that more than two decades of extreme drought have turned forested mountains and valleys into a tinderbox.
Turner said of the blaze: “It’s moving a lot faster than we anticipated. This is a very, very serious fire.”
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Locals lashed out at the US Forest Service for a deliberate, “controlled burn” meant to reduce fire risk that inadvertently started part of the blaze.
“The US Forest Service needs to be held accountable,” said Skip Finley, a former Mora County commissioner, as he loaded his car to evacuate his home.
Source: alarabiyaenglish
