FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (AP) – Hot, dry and windy weather was reported in the western United States Monday as crews battled fires from California to New Mexico, forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes.
Several hundred homes outside Flagstaff, Arizona were evacuated and the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort was closed due to bushfires, the second to hit the area this year.
Crews expect wind speeds of up to 80km/h as they fight the blaze that burned parts of the footprint left by the second spring fire that destroyed more than 2 dozen houses. None of the houses were lost in the fire, which burned nearly 8 square miles (20 square kilometers).
“It literally looks like Deja Vu,” said John Paxton, a spokesman for the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office. “We’re in the same place and we’re doing the same thing like a month and a half ago. People are tired.”
Forest fires broke out this spring in many states in the western United States, where climate change and prolonged drought are increasing the frequency and intensity of bush and grass fires.
The number of square pipes burned this year is double the national 10-year average, and states like New Mexico have already set records following the devastating fire that destroyed hundreds of homes, which caused environmental damage that should result in water supply.
According to the National Fire Department, more than 6,200 wildfires are fighting nearly three dozen unlimited fires that burn more than 1 million acres (4,408 square miles).
Even in Alaska, forecasters warn that many wildfires in the Southwest have risen especially this past week, which is not uncommon for this region. Southwestern Alaska typically has a short period of high fire risk because intermittent rain can bring relief, but in mid-May the region is hot and windy, which helps dry out vegetation.
The favorable weather on Monday helped slow the development of tundra bushfires 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from Alaska’s native village. The moderate temperature and sway of the wind pushed the fire towards St. Mary will allow firefighters to directly attack the fire and increase protection for the Yup’ik community.
Lightning strikes are estimated to be approximately 193 square miles (500 square kilometers). It burns dry grass and shrubs in southwestern Alaska, mostly in the rugged tundra.
In California, about 300 secluded homes were evacuated near a forest fire that broke out over the weekend in a forest northeast of Los Angeles near the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains.
The fire continued Sunday afternoon and burned approximately 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers) of pine trees and a dry shrub by noon Monday, fire spokeswoman Dana Dierkes said.
“The fuel is very dry, so it acts like a ladder, putting out fires on the tops of trees,” Dierkes said. Crews are also battling unpredictable winds that are expected to intensify later in the day, he said.
In addition to mandatory evacuation for some, the rest of the mountain town of Wrightwood, with a population of approximately 4,500, has been the subject of an evacuation notice. Some roads were also closed.
The fire was localized by 18%.
Five people were rescued from the danger zone after a fire broke out Monday near Dulzura, San Diego County near the Mexican border and spread over nearly 600 acres (242 acres), authorities said.
Two of the survivors were taken to hospital but there was no information on how they were injured or their condition, firefighters said.
Fire conditions rose throughout Southern California over the weekend due to hot and dry weather. Monday should be cooler, but a second heatwave is expected in the middle of the week, the National Weather Service said.
In Northern California, a 50-mile (80-mile) stretch of highway was closed indefinitely Monday after mud, rocks and dead trees flooded the strips along the bushfire scar during the floodwaters.
Several drivers were rescued from debris on the highway Sunday night when the hills burned by the huge Dixie Fire last year were laid. No injuries were reported.
The causes of the recent fires in California are being considered.
U.S. Forest Service law enforcement cited a 57-year-old camper who burned toilet paper and placed it under a rock on Saturday near the source of a forest fire in Arizona. The fire was reported the next day. Court documents show the man told authorities he tried to put out the fire with a sleeping bag, but on Monday his attorney told federal court that didn’t mean his client was responsible for the fire. .
Flagstaff resident Janetta Kathleen rode her horse, a squid, up a hill to better see the bush fires on Sunday night and watch her swim toward the houses in the shadow of the mountain. His home is not directly on the fire trail, but his family, two bulldogs and a horse are willing to go.
“I need to know what’s going on because I need to make decisions for my family,” he said. “If the wind moves, we’ll get in trouble.”
Hiking, camping, and other forest enjoyers will also depart on Sunday. A hospital was organized in the high school.
Strong winds blew on U.S. Route 89, the main gateway to the eastern Grand Canyon, through the Navajo Nation and Utah. Many people come to work between Reservation and Flagstaff. Part of the highway was closed on Monday.
“We’re not directly working on fire fighting to fix it right now,” said Brady Smith, of Kokonio National Forest. “This is not our goal and it is impossible now. For now, it will focus on the protection of life and property.”
Smoke from a fire near Flagstaff on Monday caused cloudy skies over Colorado, obscuring the view of the Denver Rocky Mountains and other cities along the state’s front ridge.
Meanwhile, firefighters were trying to contain a small bushfire burning in juniper and pine trees, which prompted brief evacuation orders Sunday in the Rio Grande National Forest in southern Colorado.
This was reported by the National Weather Service Red Flag Warnings because of the high risk of wildfires in central and southern Colorado, as well as in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The Weather Service said winds are expected after Monday, with a drop in humidity this weekend in the southwest.
Associated Press writers Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; Mark Thyssen of Anchorage, Alaska; Jim Anderson of Denver; And Susan Montoya Brian, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.
Source: Huffpost
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.