Strong winds are causing havoc for authorities battling wildfires in New Mexico, as they attempt to contain one of the largest blazes in the state’s history
High temperatures coupled with what authorities are calling ‘erratic wind gusts’ have created the perfect conditions for the fires to spread in New Mexico.
Meteorologists are predicting winds in the state will reach up to 96 kilometers per hour this week.
Elsewhere in Amarillo, in the state’s north west, temperatures have reached a record high for May.
This breaks the previous record set in 1916.
The Hermits Peak fire started over a month ago and has already spread across more than 200,000 acres, and is one of a dozen separate blazes.
Thousands of New Mexico residents remain displaced, ordered to evacuate before it’s too late.
The fire has already destroyed hundreds of homes.
Alex Ferguson a meteorologist at the national weather service says conditions in the state are dire.
“You know, it’s just not good. It’s not good out here,”
Alex ferguson, national weather service
Wildfires are increasing in both size and intensity throughout the Western United States, and communities are suffering through longer fire seasons.
Last year California was hit by a series of wildfires, killing three people and causing billions of dollars in damage.
Research suggests the ever increasing effects of global warming are behind the increase in bigger and stronger fires.
