New Mexico wildfire scorches nearly 300,000 acres, becomes largest wildfire in state history

The Hermits Peak Calf Canyon disasters has destroyed hundreds of homes and scorched nearly 300,000 acres in the last five weeks, making it the largest wildfire in us-regions history. 

A combination of steep terrain, high temperatures, and low humidity has complicated efforts for the more than 2,000 firefighters currently trying to suppress the blaze, which was 27% contained on Monday. 

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New Mexico National Guard Aviation soldiers execute water drops as part of firefighting efforts, dropping thousands of gallons of water from a UH-60 Black Hawks with Bambi buckets on the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire in northern New Mexico. (New Mexico National Guard via AP)


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In this photo released by the U.S. Forest Service, an aircraft known as a "super scooper" battles the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires in the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico on Thursday, April 28, 2022. (J. Michael Johnson/U.S. Forest Service via AP)

The Hermits Peak fire started on April 6 when a prescribed burn in the Santa Fe National Forest got out of control due to unexpected winds. The Calf Canyon Fire started about two weeks later and merged with the Hermits Peak fire on April 22. 

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Strong winds have periodically kept scooper planes out of the skies, while complex terrain in the mountains has slowed down progress for firefighters on the ground. 

The wildfire had burned 298,060 acres on Monday morning, surpassing the previous record set in the state by the Whitewater Baldy fire in 2012. 

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View of the remains of Michael Salazar’s house, burned during the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon fires, in Tierra Monte, New Mexico, U.S., May 11, 2022.  (REUTERS/Adria Malcolm)


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Michael Salazar walks at his property burned during the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon fires, in Tierra Monte, New Mexico, U.S., May 11, 2022.  (REUTERS/Adria Malcolm)


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Michael Salazar speaks at his property burned during the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon fires, in Tierra Monte, New Mexico, U.S., May 11, 2022.  (REUTERS/Adria Malcolm)

The Sipapu ski resort, located about 20 miles south of Taos in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and surrounding areas issued mandatory evacuation orders on Sunday evening. 

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Elsewhere in New Mexico, the Cerro Pelado fire has burned about 45,000 acres west of Santa Fe, while the Cooks Peak fire had scorched about 59,000 acres to the northwest.