Wind-driven flames in the west force evacuations.

Residents in the drought-stricken West are being warned of increasing fire hazards owing to high winds, according to officials. Firefighters in New Mexico issued a warning on Tuesday about possibly unpredictable winds from thunderstorms. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham warned at a press conference with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and other senior state officials that many residents should be prepared to evacuate throughout the summer.

According to the US Forest Service, the state’s biggest fire in history – and the largest fire presently burning in the United States – has extended across 299,565 acres.

Nearly 2,000 firefighters were battling the Hermits Peak and Cal Canyon fires, which were 34 percent contained. On Monday, rain from storms supported the effort, and lightning strikes caused numerous minor flames. The number of destroyed homes and other structures is expected to reach between 1,000 and 1,500. Three of New Mexico’s five national forests have issued shutdown orders, which are set to go into force on Thursday.

On the West Coast, firefighters in Southern California were battling a brush fire near Los Angeles. Last week, a 200-acre wildfire in Laguna Niguel burned 20 houses and damaged 11 more. Cal Fire’s 2022 outlook said, “California continues to endure longer wildfire seasons as a direct effect of climate change.”

A fire weather watch will be in force from Thursday morning until Friday night, according to the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 1.3 million acres have been burnt this year in the United States. In the region, wildfires have become a year-round concern. Climate change, according to scientists and fire specialists, is causing them to move quicker and burn hotter than ever before.