US Southwest Wildfires Update: Hundreds of Residents Evacuate in New Mexico and Las Vegas as Flames Continue to Grow

US Southwest wildfires have exponentially grown for the past several days, posing risks to security and property.

In New Mexico, hundreds of residents were forced to leave their homes, as the so-called Cal Canyon Wildfire not only threatens the state but also the city of Las Vegas.

In recent weeks, wildfires in the drought-stricken US region have prompted thousands of firefighters to battle raging blazes in other states such as Arizona, Texas, and Nebraska.

Drought and fire weather warnings have been issued by US meteorologists in the affected areas before.

Calf Canyon Wildfire

US wildfire — Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images

Also dubbed the "Calf Canyon Fire", the Calf Canyon Wildfire has already engulfed a total land area of 41,682 hectares (102,998 acres), or more than 50% of New York City, as of Monday morning, May 2, according to the U.S. Forest Service in New Mexico, as cited by the Qatar-based media agency Al Jazeera.

The wildfire located east of Santa Fe, New Mexico, has also threatened mountain communities, forcing inhabitants to evacuate, while some were directed to a state psychiatric hospital. T

his came after local authorities told hundreds of households in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to evacuate immediately.

Scientists claim that the Calf Canyon Fire is the most catastrophic and largest among the dozen blazes in the region, characterized by its rapid spread and early arrival this year due to climate change, according to Reuters.

The said fire started on April 6; since then, hundreds of properties were destroyed and forced the evacuation of dozens of settlements in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains but with no immediate reports of fatalities.

Also Read: New Fire Weather Warning Issued for the Rocky Mountains, Surrounding Areas Until April 20: Three Wildfires Reported in Texas

Las Vegas Under Threat

Las Vegas is also currently under threat as the Calf Canyon Wildfire burnt vegetation northwest of the 'Sin City', where families have started to pack their belongings onto trucks and some livestock onto trailers following evacuation warnings by the police to get out of the area, as per Reuters.

In a state psychiatric hospital in Las Vegas, 197 patients were forced to evacuate into other facilities.

Disruption of entertainment and other commercial activities in the city is also possible in the coming hours and days should the fire continue to grow.

Drought and Fire Weather

Local authorities in New Mexico underline that high temperatures, strong winds, and dry conditions have fueled the wildfires.

This is in line with earlier multiple weather forecasts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Storm Prediction Center (SPC) regarding critical fire weather conditions that have a high chance of fueling wildfires in the region.

On the other hand, NOAA's National Integration Drought Information System (NIDIS), on April 22, also issued a drought warning for a dry spell in the Intermountain West.

Across the US, over 3,100 wildland firefighters and emergency have been deployed to tackle the fires.

More than 1,000 of them backed by aircraft and bulldozers are battling the largest active wildfire in the country, as per the Associated Press.

Although the approximate containment of the fire is already 30%, fire authorities estimate that it will take a long time for the blaze to be completely put out.