The fires are among dozens that broke out in the southwestern United States earlier this summer, including a wildfire in New Mexico that became the worst in the state’s history. Officials say it is a foreboding sign of what is set for another intense year of fire. The so-called fire in the pipeline, which burns north of Flagstaff, Arizona, rose to about 5,000 acres (2,000 acres) after igniting on Sunday, triggered by strong winds through the dried grass and brush. Winds and hot conditions have complicated efforts to contain the blaze, officials said, adding that the fire continues to be active on all sides. “Strong winds combined with hot weather were the trigger for firefighters and air resources, as winds are forecast to be 40 to 50 mph today,” Coconino County officials said in a statement Monday. The cause of the fire is still under investigation and no structures have been destroyed, but a 57-year-old man has been arrested, according to Forest Service law enforcement. Nearby, a separate fire, called a Haywire fire, broke out early Monday morning – most likely due to flying embers – and within a few hours had blackened more than 1,600 acres (650 acres). The two fires are expected to be combined and are burning near the site of a recent tunnel fire in Kokonino County. The fires have forced many residents in the Flagstaff area to flee for the second time this season. “Let’s go again,” said resident Euelda King as she and her family waited in a parking lot, watching smoke billow in the air and planes flying overhead. He said he had just managed to settle after the last evacuation earlier this spring. Her 11-member family plans to stay at the Navajo Nation Casino, which offers assistance to evacuated tribe members. “The winds are strong and I think they will have a little fight with them,” he added of the fire forming large ominous hills on the horizon. The blasts swept through the Schultz Pass to Doney Park and authorities in the area urged everyone to leave immediately. “With this thing going as fast as it is, it could get a lot closer, of course hoping it doesn’t happen,” King said. Authorities said 13 engines, nine crews, six patrol units, three bulldozers and a water truck were involved in fighting the blaze. An Event Management Team is scheduled to arrive on Monday. In California, meanwhile, evacuation orders were issued Monday for remote homes near a fire that broke out over the weekend in mountains northeast of Los Angeles, authorities said. The fire at the sheep, which reached more than 990 acres (400 hectares), was reduced by 18% as of Monday afternoon, according to officials, who also said 300 people had been evacuated from the area. It’s only mid-June and the #SheepFire on SoCal is burning at an intensity most commonly seen during peak fires. Fuels are at record levels of drought. An ominous sign for later this summer / autumn when the vegetation dries even more. #CAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/MlrE9gdgv7 – US StormWatch (@US_Stormwatch) June 13, 2022 The blaze broke out Saturday near Wrightwood near the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Gabriel Mountains and moved rapidly through the steep terrain covered with dried pine trees and dry brushes, San Bernardino County Fire Department officials said. “Fuel humidity is as low as it was year after year,” said Alison Hesterly, a public relations officer at Cal Fire San Bernardino, adding that unstable winds had shifted the flames in different directions. The landscapes were also prepared to burn after decades without fire. “Much of the area of the fire has not been burned for 20 years,” Hesterly said, adding that some areas had not seen flames for more than 50 years. “They are very sensitive to fire conditions.” The fire has not yet destroyed houses, but about 50 structures are in its path. “We did not have fires running through the houses,” Hesterly said, “but these houses are definitely under threat.” The blaze erupted just days after local, state and federal officials gathered in Los Angeles to share their concerns about the increased dangers and extreme conditions that are only expected to worsen as the weather warms and droughts subside. About 60% of California is categorized as extreme drought by U.S. drought monitoring, and vegetation moisture levels across the state are incredibly low. Officials say conditions are 40% drier than they were at the time of 2016 – one of the driest years on record in the region. “We’re getting warmer, drier, faster,” said Dustin Gardner, head of the Ventura County Fire Department, noting that there has been a worrying trend in recent years. The climate crisis, which has caused higher temperatures and accelerated drought conditions, has lengthened the fire season and contributed to extreme fire behavior that makes it more difficult to fight fires. Nearly 2.5 million acres (1 hectares) have already been burned across the United States this year, far more than double that amount last year and more than 128% above the 10-year average, according to the National Interdepartmental Fire Department. In preparation for an expected escalation of fire conditions, the agency has also raised its preparedness to level 2, which means that “several geographical areas face a high to extreme fire risk”. The southwestern region, which has been forged by fires at the beginning of the season, is forecast to have a strong monsoon season that will offer some rest after the June attack, but until the rains come, the region remains at high risk. California and the Pacific Northwest, however, will face significant fire potential by the end of the summer. The Associated Press contributed to the publication.
