NEW MEXICO, United States (Reuters) — Hundreds of people have evacuated to escape a wildfire in a blaze in rural New Mexico as hot weather feeds the flames, raising health concerns in other regions, officials said on Thursday (June 16).
The so-called Dog Head Fire which broke out on Wednesday about 6 miles (10 km) northwest of the town of Tajique has forced evacuations and grown to more than 12,000 acres (4,900 hectares). Tajique is around 30 miles southeast of Albuquerque.
It has burned through timber in central New Mexico, pushing heavy smoke toward cities more than 100 miles (160 km) away as flames spread through a largely unpopulated area, fire information officer Peter D’Aquanni said in a phone interview.
Torrance County Sheriff Heath White said his office was evacuating about 200 people.
D’Aquanni said winds could shift the flames to the east as more than 600 firefighters tackle the blaze.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued excessive heat warnings for areas in the U.S. southwest, including California, Nevada and Arizona. The NWS forecast office in Phoenix predicted temperatures as high as 119 degrees Fahrenheit (48.3 Celsius) in the coming days, which would exceed record highs.
The NWS also issued heat advisories for Missouri and southwest Iowa, with temperatures in the mid-90s Fahrenheit (35 Celsius).
