Residents of a New Mexico town have described their panic as two wildfires ripped through a mountain range, prompting evacuations, an emergency declaration and one death.
The two fires have converged near Ruidoso, on a tribal reservation, causing the 7,800 residents to flee.
They are the South Fork Fire, which has burned more than 1,400 structures since Monday's blaze, and the Salt Fire, which is burning south of the village.
A resident of Rudioso said he was “terrified” after being engulfed in smoke.
“We've seen several fires in the 19 years we've been there, and none were as bad as this one,” 83-year-old Frank Loya told Reuters.
The two fires have scorched more than 20,000 hectares and remain 0% contained, according to a Tuesday evening update from authorities.
“The horrific South Fork Fire and Salt Fire have destroyed our land and property and forced thousands to flee their homes,” said New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who declared a state of emergency. “We are using all available resources to get these fires under control.”
The fatality was confirmed by her office, although no details were provided.
Christy Hood, a real estate agent in Ruidoso, told the Associated Press how she fled with her husband, two children and dogs without even taking clothes or a toothbrush. Locals were urged to evacuate on Monday without attempting to gather belongings.
“When we left, there were flames in front of me and next to me,” she said. “And all the animals were just running, charging and trying to get out.”
Most of the hundreds of buildings destroyed were thought to be homes, said George Ducker of the New Mexico Forestry Division.
He told the BBC that both fires had spread due to dry conditions and wind, but what caused them was still under investigation.
The fires prompted the partial closure of U.S. Highway 70 south of the village and telephone outages posed a challenge for emergency responders in Ruidoso.
Nearby communities have opened shelters for evacuees, and the city of Roswell has opened up hospital space for patients evacuating from Ruidoso Hospital.
Wildfires in New Mexico are not unusual, and this year's fire forecast predicted normal activity, Ducker said.
But parts of southeastern New Mexico are experiencing what is classified as an “exceptional drought.”
Ruidoso draws tourists to its trails, parks and wilderness because of its proximity to the Lincoln National Forest.
In California, firefighters are once again battling a wildfire north of Los Angeles, where more than 15,000 acres of land have burned and hundreds of people have been forced to evacuate.
According to the Cal Fire website, the Post Fire was 39% contained as of Wednesday morning.
The wildfires come as parts of North America grapple with the first heat wave of the season.
More than 70 million Americans, about one in five people, remain under heat warnings on Wednesday. Heat warnings are now also in effect in six Canadian provinces.
Some cities, including Chicago, have surpassed previous record temperatures for this time of year.
Wildfires occur naturally in many parts of the world, and their overall number has decreased over the past two decades.
Scientists say extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense due to human-induced climate change, fueled by activities such as burning fossil fuels and clearing forests.
Heat waves have become more frequent and intense worldwide since 1950, says the UN climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Such warm weather can create conditions that make the spread of wildfires more likely, the IPCC says, by contributing to longer droughts.
