GUSTY WINDS FUELING FIRES IN SOUTHWEST
Evacuation orders in place in Texas, Colo., and New Mexico
ALBEQUERQUE, N.M.
More than 5,000 firefighters battled multiple wildland blazes in dry, windy weather across the Southwest on Thursday, including a fire that has destroyed dozens of structures in west Texas and another that’s picking up steam again in New Mexico.
Evacuation orders remained in place for residents near the wildfires in Texas, Colorado and New Mexico.
Dangerous fire weather involving gusty winds, high temperatures and extremely low humidity was predicted to continue through today — especially in New Mexico, where the largest U.S. wildfire has been burning for more than a month and the governor expects the number of structures destroyed will exceed 1,000.
More than 2,100 fire personnel are fighting that blaze, which has burned more than 302,720 acres — 473 square miles — of timber and brush in a region east of Santa Fe and south of Taos. Only about one-third of the fire’s perimeter is estimated contained.
With winds gusting up to 40 mph, red flag warnings signaling extreme wildfire danger were in effect until 10 p.m. — much later into the night than is typical. Gusts closer to 50 mph were expected today, said the wildfire’s incident meteorologist, Bladen Breitreiter.
In Texas, the Texas A&M Forestry Service said the fire that has burned dozens of homes was still only 5 percent contained Thursday afternoon after charring more than 9,500 acres of juniper and mesquite brush 18 miles southwest of Abilene.
That fire had prompted the evacuation of the historic town of Buffalo Gap on Wednesday. Forestry Service spokesman Stuart Morris said the town had reopened Thursday, but a wind shift could pose a new threat.
No injuries had been reported as of Thursday afternoon, but Morris said 27 structures had been destroyed. It wasn’t clear how many of them were residences.
All of West Texas was under a red flag wildfire danger warning Thursday, with an underlying drought and critically to extremely dry vegetation combining with 100degree temperaturesand gusty winds.
However, the Forestry Service said a new weather pattern by the weekend is expected to usher in cooler temperatures and moisture that could limit potential for wildfire activity on Saturday and Sunday.