In a news conference Tuesday, Gov. Lujan Grisham acknowledged she did not have hard figures — most recent estimates had put losses of homes at 366 — but added "given the nature of this fire ... I don't think it's an exaggeration."
Wildfire smoke can cause a number of health problems, ranging from eye and respiratory tract irritation to more serious concerns, such as reduced lung function, bronchitis, asthma attacks, heart failure and even neurological disorders.
Workers at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society scurried this week to make room for displaced pets. Other local organizations are taking donations of money, food, clothes and hygiene products for those in need.
The state’s too dry. Too warm. Wildfire risk is too high and the season lasts all year now. The danger of a camper accidentally sparking a devastating wildfire is too serious.
Gary Zell, a meteorologist for the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, said in a briefing a "double-barrel system" is expected to bring four days of "critical fire weather," with low humidity, high temperatures and wind.
Pacific Power, which supplies power to 140,000 customers in central and eastern Washington, was one of several public power and utility companies to present wildfire plans to the Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission.
The Pierce Conservation District in Washington is organizing a virtual event May 25 to help teach people how to make their homes safer from wildfires. Residents will learn what they can do now to mitigate the risks.
A new study from Princeton University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests that wildfire smoke in California will become significantly worse over the 21st century.
Calif. Sen. Mike McGuire is pushing legislation that would require the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates utilities like PG&E, to develop a program to hasten the burial of power lines.
The findings likely sound all too familiar to California residents, who for years have been living with the reality of hotter, more frequent and more intense wildfires.
