Federal officials warn that an expanding drought, coupled with hot and dry conditions, extreme wind, and unstable atmospheric conditions, has led to explosive fire behavior throughout the Southwest U.S. Large fires continue their march across New Mexico’s streets on Friday.
Crews battled fires in Texas, Colorado, and other states where forecasters issued red alerts for high-risk fire danger.
U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore spoke out Friday about the extreme conditions and announced a pause in prescribed fire operations on all national forests lands. His agency is currently conducting a 90-day review protocol, decision-making tools, and practices to prepare for planned operations this fall.
“Our primary goal when engaging in prescribed fires or wildfires is to ensure safety for the communities. Moore stated that employees engaged in prescribed fire operations are part the communities. “Our communities and our employees deserve the best science and tools to support them as we work towards reducing the risk from severe wildfires in future,” Moore said.
The U.S. Forest Service is being criticized for its prescribed fire in New Mexico, which escaped its containment lines in March and was joined by another fire to create what is currently the largest fire in the U.S.
Moore stated that prescribed fires work in 99.84% cases and are a useful tool to reduce the risk of extreme fires. They can be used to remove dead or down trees, and any other fuel from overgrown forest.
This spring, wildfires broke out in several western states earlier than usual. The reason is that climate change and a persistent drought have increased the intensity and frequency of grassland and forest fires. This year’s total of burned square miles is significantly higher than the 10-year average.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there were more than 5,700 wildland firefighters fighting 16 large uncontained fires that had burned over half a million acres (2,025 km2) of grassland and forest.
The U.S.’s largest fire is currently burning on more than 474 miles (1,228 kilometers). State officials stated that they expect the number homes and other structures to increase to over 1,000 once more assessments have been done.
Texas A&M Forestry Service reported that the fire that had engulfed more than 20 structures and forced the evacuation of Buffalo Gap, Texas, was 25% contained on Friday. The fire had charred more than 15 miles (39 km) of mesquite and juniper brush.