Deadly Wildfires Continue to Spread due to Windy Weather in Several US Communities

Deadly wildfires have engulfed several communities across the United States.

As firefighters continue to tackle the blaze, there have been reports of multiple casualties in Nebraska.

Wildfires have also worsened in Arizona and new fires have emerged in New Mexico.

Massive wildfires were also reported growing in some states, including in Colorado, Florida, South Dakota, and Texas.

Amidst the weather forecast of a cold front and severe weather in the country this week, fire weather conditions have remained, especially in the Southwest US.

Arizona Tunnel Fire

Arizona authorities continue to fend off the raging flames of the so-called 'Tunnel Fire', which has already increased to 20% in the covered area as of Monday evening, April 25.

The U.S. Forest Service in the Coconino National Forest stated the blaze has covered 19,344 acres, as per Fox News.

Meanwhile, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office reportedly said that approximately 109 properties have been affected by the Tunnel Fire, including 30 residences.

However, there were no immediate reports of any human casualties.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency to allow Coconino County receive its needed relief and aid assistance for the affected communities for response and recovery operations due to the wildfire's destruction.

New Mexico Wildfires

New wildfires called the "Calf Canyon Fire" and "Hermits Peak Fire" have merged into a single gigantic concoction of flames with an average of 60,173 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service in the Santa Fe National Forest, as cited by the said US media agency.

Evacuations are underway in northern New Mexico, whose local government, including members of the congressional delegation, reportedly made calls with White House officials and federal agencies to request ground resources and support.

Last week, Nebraska Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed executive orders for the implementation of a state emergency declaration on four counties such as Colfax, Lincoln, San Miguel, and Valencia.

Nebraska Road 702 Fire

The wildfire in Nebraska killed one person and injured at least 145 firefighters with at least six houses destroyed.

The victim was a retired fire chief who died while supposedly serving as a fire spotter in Red Willow County.

The "Road 702 Fire" in the state has engulfed 41,448 acres with only 47% containment, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, as cited by Fox News.

Drought Warning

On April 22, a drought warning was issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) for a dry spell in the Intermountain West area of the US.

The warning implied that states in the said areas and in surrounding regions are at risk of experiencing the continuance of moderate to extreme heat for the remainder of April and until May.

Furthermore, the drought is increasing the effects of fire weather conditions such as soil moisture, air humidity, wind, and precipitation, among others.

This means that such climatic elements elevate the risk of wildfire growth and spread.

The NOAA - NIDIS forecast is in line with the claim of a previous study published in Nature Climate Change, where researchers postulated that the ongoing drought in the Western US will likely continue until 2030.

In addition, the study also highlighted that such extreme dry conditions in the region started in 800 A.D., surpassing the megadrought during the late 16th century.