2022-05-18 07:00:00
New Mexico wildfire burns area the size of Los Angeles
The fire has burned more than 468 square miles, becoming the largest fire in the arid state’s recorded history.
Anastasia Riddle, USA TODAY
NEW MEXICO – Wildfires are nothing new to New Mexicoespecially with the five national forests located in the state. Fires are expected, but this year the fire season started early and has already produced two record-breaking wildfires.
There are at least three wildfires currently burning in New Mexico, but clean-up on several other highly damaging fires has been underway in Lincoln County for weeks now.
The Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak Fire burning in northern New Mexico on the Santa Fe National Forest gained national attention this month as it is currently the largest wildfire burning in North America. On May 16, the fire became the largest in the state’s recent history.
It started as the Las Dispensas prescribed fire, but winds and dry conditions led to the fire jumping its containment lines. The Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak fires grew exponentially and ended up combining in late April. Residents of five New Mexico counties have been directly affected by the fire, and multiple others have experienced smoke coming from the blaze.
More: Black Fire tears through Gila, crime stats analyzed and a fight over Mesilla’s future
Farther south, the Black Fire started May 13 from human causes in the Gila National Forest. The rate of growth on this fire has far exceeded the Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak Fire and has the potential for more significant growth. While not as large as its northern counterpart, the Black Fire officially became the third-largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history May 25.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Fire in the Gila was previously the largest wildfire to burn in the state. The 2011 Las Conchas Fire in the Santa Fe National Forest was the second largest, followed by the Silver Fire that burned in the Gila in 2013.
Here is a list of the largest wildfires to burn in New Mexico since 1990 (acres burned as of Monday, June 6, 2022):
More wildfire coverage:
Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, [email protected] or @rromero_leah on Twitter.
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