Washington, May 4 (BNA) – From their front yard, Martina Gonzalez and her grandson watched a plane disappear as a plume of smoke rose to fight a massive fire that burned hundreds of square miles, destroyed nearly 170 homes and threatened further destruction if the winds blow. Whip, as expected, across the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Overnight the fire grew to 250 square miles (647 square kilometers), with 20% of its circumference contained. Strong winds and fires are expected to blow Wednesday towards Las Vegas, which has a population of about 13,000. In one area, the fire was about a mile away.
Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo said the thick smoke and noise from planes fighting the fire was horrific at times, but she wanted to reassure residents that crews were working tirelessly, according to the Associated Press.
On Tuesday, bulldozers scraped fire lines in the suburbs and firefighters set up burners to remove vegetation while planes and helicopters dropped fire retardants as a second line of defense in preparation for the weekend’s expected heavy winds. On the other hand, firefighting vehicles and their crew remained stationed on Wednesday on the outskirts of the city.
New Mexico was swept by waves of hot, dry, windy weather. The latest predictions were in the bull’s eye again.
Scientists and fire experts said wildfires are becoming a year-round threat in the drought-stricken West — moving faster and burning hotter than ever before due to climate change. Fire officials also point to areas of overgrown and unhealthy forests where overgrown vegetation can exacerbate wildfires.
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