'Very dangerous fire weather' as New Mexico braces for more wildfire conditions

The Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon fire was 20 percent contained as of Wednesday morning, while the Cooks Peak fire was 89 percent contained, fire authorities reported.

Wildfires continued to burn across New Mexico Wednesday as dry and windy conditions fuel what officials fear could be some of the most destructive fires in the state’s recorded history.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a tweet she was on her way to the Cerro Pelado Fire, which has burned roughly 27,000 acres of Santa Fe National Forest and is 13 percent contained.

The Hermits Peak fire, which is almost one month old and was 10 percent contained in mid April, has since merged with Calf Canyon fire.

Together, the new, larger fire is today just 20 percent contained and has burned over 160,000 acres.

A morning interagency fire update on the Hermits Creek and Calf Canyon Fire said firefighters and weather forecasters expected conditions to worsen across the state with an “anticipated increase in fire activity in multiple locations across the fire as winds shift throughout the day.”

“A slow-moving, strong system will be responsible for very strong winds with dry conditions not going anywhere. Ongoing fires and new starts will be able to spread rapidly.”

NWS Albuquerque on the weekend ahead

The National Weather Service Albuquerque warned in a tweet Wednesday that a “widespread, very dangerous fire weather pattern peaks again this weekend & early next week”

“A slow-moving, strong system will be responsible for very strong winds with dry conditions not going anywhere. Ongoing fires and new starts will be able to spread rapidly,” NWS Albuquerque wrote.”

In Las Vegas, a town of 13,000 in New Mexico’s northeast, residents on Monday hurried to flee ahead of fast-moving flames from the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon fire.

NBC News affiliate KOB-TV reported from Las Vegas that town officials are worried the blaze could possibly threaten their water supply.

Smoke from the combined fires, driven by strong wind gusts of up to 40 mph, are choking communities like Las Vegas to the east and south sides of the fire, the morning update said.

“The Las Vegas Valley will see Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) today becoming Unhealthy into tonight. Mora will average USG with periods of Unhealthy late afternoon into tonight with winds pushing smoke eastward,” they said.

In western New Mexico, the Bear Trap Fire is zero percent contained and has burned 2,300 acres.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.