2022 New Mexico wildfires

The 2022 New Mexico wildfire season is an ongoing series of wildfires burning throughout the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of December 13, 2022, 904,422 acres (366,007 ha) had burned across the state.[2] The burned acreage figure for 2022 is well above the 1995-2015 average of approximately 270,000 acres burned annually. with the fire season in the state expected to continue until the advent of the regular North American Monsoon weather pattern throughout the Southwestern United States in the summer.[3][4]

2022 New Mexico wildfires
Satellite imagery from GOES-16 shows smoke plumes from multiple wildfires in northern New Mexico moving east into Texas during a wind event on April 29, 2022.
Statistics
Total area899,453 acres (363,996 ha)[1]
CostUnknown
Deaths2
Season
← 2021
2023 →

A number of factors contributed to the severe wildfire season. The majority of the state is experiencing extreme to exceptional drought conditions as part of a broader severe drought in the North American west, fueled by climate change.[5] A reduced 2021-2022 winter snowpack, long periods of higher-than-normal temperatures, and sustained strong winds have resulted in extreme fire conditions and a number of major incidents.[6][7][4]

The season has seen a large number of significant wildfires.[8] In early April 2022, the McBride Fire destroyed over 200 structures and killed two people. Since April 2022, the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire grew to become the largest fire in New Mexico history.[9] It destroyed over 900 structures. Starting in May the Black Fire (2022), and ending in late July, burned in the Gila National Forest northeast of Silver City. The fire consumed some 325,000 acres and became the second-largest wildfire in state history. [10] Thousands of state residents were forced to evacuate for extended periods of times, and the fires produced smoke plumes with severe effects on air quality and health throughout New Mexico.[11]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), produced significant structural damage or casualties, or were otherwise notable.

Name County Acres Start date Containment date Notes Ref
MM 38 Fire Mora 1,705February 23, 2022February 25, 2022Cause under investigation[12][3]
San Luis Fire Hidalgo 2,958March 4, 2022March 10, 2022Cause under investigation[13][3]
Arch Fire Roosevelt 5,732March 17, 2022March 18, 2022Human caused[3]
Highway 380 Fire Lea 17,658March 29, 2022March 30, 2022Caused by powerlines[14][15]
Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire San Miguel, Mora, Taos 341,735April 6, 2022August 22, 2022Hermits Peak Fire (escaped prescribed burn) started April 6. The Calf Canyon Fire (escaped pile burn) started April 19. Merged on April 22. Largest and most destructive fire in state history.[16][17]
Collins Fire Catron 3,030April 7, 2022April 11, 2022Was located in the Reserve Ranger District of the Gila National Forest[18][19]
Overflow Fire Chaves 1,900April 7, 2022April 13, 2022Caused by escaped prescribed burn[20]
McBride Fire Lincoln 6,159April 12, 2022May 7, 2022Killed 2 people and destroyed 207 structures. Cause under investigation[21]
Cooks Peak Fire Mora, Colfax 59,359April 17, 2022May 13, 2022Human caused[22]
Buckthorn Fire Eddy 1,152April 20, 2022April 22, 2022Human caused[3][23]
Cerro Pelado Fire Sandoval 46,605April 22, 2022June 14, 2022Cause under investigation[24][25]
Mitchell Fire Harding 25,000April 22, 2022April 29, 2022Cause under investigation[26]
Campbell Road Fire Union 2,000April 22, 2022April 30, 2022Cause under investigation[27]
380 Friday Fire Lea 6,500April 22, 2022April 22, 2022Cause under investigation[28][29]
Skiles 429 Fire Union 1,312April 29, 2022May 3, 2022Cause under investigation[30]
Bear Trap Fire Socorro 38,225May 1, 2022June 9, 2022Cause under investigation[31]
Truck Tire Fire Roosevelt 1,500May 2, 2022May 3, 2022Human caused[3][23]
380 May Fire Lea 1,833May 4, 2022May 5, 2022Human caused[3][23]
Black Fire Catron, Grant, Sierra 325,136May 13, 2022July 27, 2022Cause under investigation. Now the second-largest fire in modern New Mexico history[32]
Foster Fire Hidalgo 10,403May 29, 2022???Cause under investigation[33]
Midnight Fire Rio Arriba 4,905June 9, 2022July 1, 2022Lightning[34][35]

See also

References
  1. "2022 Year-to-Date Wildland Fires > 100 Acres" (PDF). Southwest Coordination Center. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  2. "2022 Year-to-Date Wildland Fires > 100 Acres" (PDF). Southwest Coordination Center. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  3. "SWCC | Predictive Services | Intelligence | Historical Fire Data". gacc.nifc.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  4. Miller, Elizabeth; Samenow, Jason (May 5, 2022). "Large fires are raging in New Mexico, and the worst may be coming". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  5. "U.S. Drought Monitor New Mexico". droughtmonitor.unl.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  6. Garrett, Monica (2022-04-27). "It is only April, and New Mexico has already seen a year's worth of fire activity that will worsen starting today". CNN. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  7. "Destructive wildfires in New Mexico trigger emergency declaration". NPR. Associated Press. 2022-04-24. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
  8. agencies, Staff and (2022-04-24). "One dead and thousands forced to flee as wildfires sweep across US". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
  9. "U.S. Forest Service Planned Burn Caused Largest New Mexico Wildfire". The New York Times. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  10. SW MORNING SITUATION REPORT (SMSR). Retrieved 2022-06-16
  11. Silva, Claudia L. (May 12, 2022). "Smoke from New Mexico wildfires could have serious impact on health". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  12. "Mm 38 Fire near Santa Rosa, New Mexico - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map | Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center". FireWeatherAvalanche.org. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  13. "San Luis Fire near Lordsburg, New Mexico - Current Incident Information and Wildfire Map | Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center". FireWeatherAvalanche.org. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  14. WMason (2022-03-30). "Highway 380 Fire – Lea County – March 30, 2022". NM Fire Info. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  15. "Lea County Office of Emergency Management and Environmental on Facebook". Facebook. March 30, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  16. "Inciweb - Calf Canyon Fire". Inciweb - Incident Information System. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  17. "Inciweb - Hermits Peak Fire". Inciweb - Incident Information System. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  18. Padilla, Anna (13 April 2022). "Collins Fire at Gila National Forest Reserve Ranger District 100% contained". KRQE. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  19. Wyland, Scott (2 April 2022). "Communities near Las Vegas evacuate as dry conditions fuel fires across state". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  20. "Inciweb - Overflow Fire". Inciweb - Incident Information System. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  21. "Inciweb - McBride Fire". Inciweb - Incident Information System. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  22. "Inciweb - Cooks Peak". Inciweb - Incident Information System. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  23. "Southwest Coordination Center Year-to-Date Incidents Map". Southwest Coordination Center. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  24. "Inciweb - Cerro Pelado Fire". Inciweb - Incident Information System. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  25. SFNFPIO (2022-05-15). "Cerro Pelado Fire Update". NM Fire Info. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  26. "Inciweb - Mitchell Fire". Inciweb - Incident Information System. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  27. "Inciweb - Campbell Road Fire". Inciweb - Incident Information System. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  28. WMason (2022-04-23). "380 Friday Fire – New Start Lea County -April 22, 2022". NM Fire Info. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  29. "Lea County Office of Emergency Management & Environmental on Facebook". Facebook. April 23, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  30. WMason (2022-05-02). "Skiles 429 Fire – Union County – May 2, 2022 FINAL". NM Fire Info. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
  31. "Bear Trap Fire Information". InciWeb - Incident Information System. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  32. "Inciweb - Black Fire". Inciweb - Incident Information System. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  33. "New wildfire starts in New Mexico's bootheel over the weekend". Silver City Sun News. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  34. "Under control: Midnight Fire was manageable thanks to prescribed burns, thinning - Albuquerque Journal". www.abqjournal.com. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  35. "Midnight Fire Saturday evening update". NM Fire Info. 12 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
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