Dangerous, gusty winds are expected to continue across northeast New Mexico into Monday
Smoke from the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire drifts over Las Vegas, N.M., on Saturday, May 7, 2022. LAS VEGAS, N.M. — — Dangerous, gusty winds were expected to continue Monday across northeast New Mexico, complicating the fight against wildfires that threaten thousands of homes in mountainous rural communities.
A so-called “red flag warning” that indicates high fire danger due to heat, low humidity and fast winds will remain in place through Monday night, nearly four days after it began. Fast winds are in many ways firefighters’ worst nightmare, especially in conditions as hot and dry as those the crews have been battling in the Southwest since early April.
“It’s not good, obviously; it takes away a tool in our toolbox, but we’re not stopping,” said fire spokesperson Ryan Berlin. In the small community of Las Vegas, some residents began returning on Saturday and some local businesses reopened. Containment lines established by bulldozers as well as the direction of the wind helped keep the community safe over the weekend. But some fire officials warned people to remain aware of evacuation orders because conditions could change quickly.
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