On June 15, around 2:00 PM on Saturday, a wildfire broke out west of Interstate 5 in Los Angeles County. The fire burned in steep, hard-to-reach areas and threatened critical infrastructure in the mountains north of Los Angeles.
Due to windy weather and low humidity, the flames spread rapidly, engulfing over 15,000 acres of land in both Los Angeles County and neighboring Ventura. The fire spread across the grassy hills of Hungry Valley State Park and moved southeast toward Pyramid Lake. The flames approached residential and tourist areas, resulting in the evacuation of 1,200 people.
To stop the fire from spreading, crews created firebreaks around the perimeter, and planes operated under limited visibility conditions. By June 17, only 2% of the fire had been contained.
Currently, about 20 burning wildfires are considered large and uncontrollable, including fires in California and Washington.
Two major fires broke out on June 17 in southeastern New Mexico. The South Fork fire was discovered around 9:00 AM, and the Salt Fire around 2:00 PM. They originated in or near the Mescalero Apache Reservation, threatening homes and lives in Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, and nearby areas. The fire behavior was extreme.
Flames reached 100 feet high, and strong winds made it impossible to stop the spread. Within an hour, the police department and fire station barricaded all roads to the affected settlements. The only available route for emergency evacuation was from Sudderth to Highway 70 leading to Roswell.
People were told: "Leave NOW: do not try to gather belongings or defend your home. Evacuate immediately."
A Ruidoso resident said the evacuation order came so quickly on Monday that she and her husband only had time to grab their two children and two dogs. "It felt like the sky was on fire. It was bright orange," she said. "Honestly, it felt like the apocalypse. It was terrible, and sparks were falling on us."
Another local resident said he was "scared to death" after being engulfed in smoke. "In our 19 years there, we have experienced several fires, and none have been as fierce as this one."
The fires led to the partial closure of US Highway 70 south of the village and the disruption of telephone communication, creating a problem for emergency services in Ruidoso.
According to CalFire, in 2024, wildfires have already burned about 41,900 acres, which is above the average of 27,100 acres for the same period over the past five years.
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