While the largest wildfire in California was just declared contained, both Colorado and Mexico have been hit with massive blazes causing hundreds to evacuate.
The 416 Fire – as the one in Colorado is referred to – has scorched 1,974 acres and has only been 10 percent contained, according to the La Plata County Government on Facebook.
U.S. Highway 550 was closed as a result from mile marker 35.5 and 43.5.
The 416 Fire was first reported around 10.02am just 10 miles north of Durango, Colorado, and to the west of the highway.
The 416 Fire – as the one in Colorado is referred to – has scorched 1,974 acres and has only been 10 percent contained
More than 1500 residents were advised to evacuate the area
At least 20 air resources were dispatched to fight the flames, ‘including single engine and heavy tankers and type 1 and 2 helicopters, 14 engines, 4 hotshot crews, multiple Type 2 initial attack crews, and a water tender.’
In addition, 200 personnel have also been put out to respond to the fire.
More than 1500 residents were advised to evacuate the area.
Roughly 825 residences were under mandatory evacuation orders on Saturday while another 760 were under a pre-evacuation notice.
Roughly 825 residences were under mandatory evacuation orders on Saturday while another 760 were under a pre-evacuation notice
The 416 Fire was first reported around 10.02am just 10 miles north of Durango, Colorado, and to the west of U.S. Highway 550
The Forest Service said the intensity of the Colorado wildfire, known as the 416 Fire, had slightly diminished by Saturday morning and that firefighters were focused on protecting neighborhoods and infrastructure.
Two evacuation centers have been opened for residents to check in, which will be vital to returning to the area when the fire subsides.
The blaze in New Mexico – called the Ute Park Fire in Colfax County – destroyed about a dozen empty buildings on the Boy Scouts’ storied Philmont Ranch and threatened nearly 300 homes, officials say.
Almost 30,000 acres were said to have been burned so far in the blaze.
At least 20 air resources were dispatched to fight the flames, ‘including single engine and heavy tankers and type 1 and 2 helicopters, 14 engines, 4 hotshot crews, multiple Type 2 initial attack crews, and a water tender’
Almost 30,000 acres were said to have been burned so far in the blaze of the Ute Park Fire
The flames were first reported Thursday and ballooned quickly in a part of New Mexico hardest hit by a severe drought gripping the American Southwest.
‘The Village of Cimarron is STILL safe,’ village councilor Laura Gonzales said on Facebook. ‘Continue to pray for our community.’
More than 60 per cent of the U.S. West is experiencing some level of drought, the latest federal drought maps show, forcing national forests and other public lands to close because of escalating fire danger.
The area where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet is at the center of a large patch of exceptional drought.
Dry, windy and warm weather was expected to make conditions worse as the New Mexico fire burned on state and private land, including part of the Boy Scouts’ ranch, state forestry spokeswoman Wendy Mason said.
The blaze destroyed about a dozen empty buildings on the Boy Scouts’ storied Philmont Ranch and threatened nearly 300 homes, officials say
Evacuation centers have been set up in northeastern New Mexico as heavy smoke from a wildfire has forced residents from Cimarron and the surrounding areas to leave their homes
Smoke being reported in Trinidad and surrounding areas is from Ute Park fire in northern New Mexico
Estimates put the blaze at more than 25 square miles (66 square kilometers). Its cause isn’t known.
Officials say no scouts were at the ranch and all staff members were accounted for. Employees who live in the nearby community of Cimarron were allowed to leave to care for their families.
Authorities ordered residents in Cimarron and surrounding areas to evacuate Friday as the smoke drifted east.
At the historic St. James Hotel in Cimarron, the phone went unanswered after the popular tourist destination had emptied out along with the rest of the town.
The U.S. Postal Service also evacuated post offices in Cimarron and the smaller community of Ute Park, telling residents they would have to travel about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away to get their mail.
Plumes of smoke from a wildfire near Cimarron, N.M., rise in the background Friday, June 1, 2018
The flames were first reported Thursday and ballooned quickly in a part of New Mexico
Officials were concerned about air quality. Evacuation centers were set up in nearby towns as residents shared information on social media about where to take refuge and where animals and livestock could be left.
Forecasters said the towering plume of smoke had reached about 20,000 feet (6,100 meters).
A top-tier incident management team was being assigned to the Ute Park Fire, which had crossed a highway and forced its closure. Other roads also were closed.
Crews used several air tankers and a few helicopters to fight the flames from above.
In western New Mexico, gusty winds fanned a wildfire that has burned 38 square miles of forest, blowing embers past containment lines and starting spot fires.
Officials said about one-third of the fire was contained as of Friday, but firefighters faced the challenge of having to both stop the growth of the main fire while patrolling for spot fires. That human-caused fire started May 22 and is east of Reserve on the Gila National Forest.
More than 60 per cent of the U.S. West is experiencing some level of drought, the latest federal drought maps show
Smoke from a wildfire in New Mexico permeates the air around Fishers Peak in Trinidad, Colorado
Dry, windy and warm weather was expected to make conditions worse as the New Mexico fire burned on state and private land
Authorities ordered residents in Cimarron and surrounding areas to evacuate Friday as the smoke drifted east