More than 19,000 fires are started by fireworks each year with most happening around the fourth of July holiday weekend. Even with the recent rainfall, there is lots of fuel for fire and local fire agencies are preparing for what’s expected to be a busy weekend for fires and firework related injuries.
Multiple miscalculations, inaccurate models and a lack of understanding of just how dry things are in the Southwest resulted in a planned burn to reduce the threat of wildfire turning into the largest blaze in New Mexico’s recorded history, the U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday.
On Sunday, authorities arrested 57-year-old Matthew Riser after a forest official said he started the fire and tried to drive off in a white pickup truck along Snowbowl Road.
More people in northern New Mexico are being warned they might have to flee as the largest wildfire burning in the United States heads toward mountain resort towns.
Many homes near America’s largest wildfire survived the latest barrage of howling winds and erratic flames, but New Mexico’s governor said Tuesday the risk of more destruction is high and that the long-term costs of recovering from the massive blaze will soar.
The Locklin fire is now 30% contained, and it has grown to 106 acres. This is the fifth fire in Bisbee since March, marking a new record for the small town.
During an evacuation, you don’t have much time. Red Cross says there are three things you should do: create an evacuation plan, build an emergency kit, and stay informed and up to date on the latest fires.
“It was that hot dry air that we felt was good for the lungs,” Arizona family physician Dr. Andrew Carroll said. “And that’s why a lot of people moved here.” However, as more and more people have moved to Arizona, air pollution has gotten worse.