U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday approved the declaration of a disaster for parts of New Mexico that had been hit by wildfires and ordered that government assistance be made available for relief efforts, the White House said.
Volcanic eruptions, including the largest wildfire in the United States, began earlier this year and are more widespread than usual due to climate change, according to scientists.
MEXICO
Government support will be provided in the northern regions of New Mexico in Morora and San Miguel when the second-largest wildfire in the country’s history burned hundreds of homes and buildings and threatened the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico.
The president’s action also provided support for Lincoln County, where two people were killed in April when a fire broke out in the town of Ruidoso, destroying more than 200 homes.
Other states included in the announcement include Colfax and Valencia which also burned down in early April, a month earlier than usual, according to fire officials.
The law provides for temporary housing and home improvement grants, cheap mortgage payments, and other programs to help people recover from the effects of the disaster, according to a statement from the White House. “This is the right step,” said Michael Salazar, 55, who lost his home in a fire in San Miguel County and was camping with others leaving Storrie Lake State Park near Las Vegas.
Winds fell in Morora and San Miguel Counties on Wednesday, giving firefighters an opportunity to prepare areas near Las Vegas with strong weather forecasts over the weekend. To the north, firefighters kept the fire out of much of Morora and built storage lines near the communities of Cleveland and Holman. Northern New Mexico has been in strong winds for the past 24 days, driving the so-called Calf Canyon Hermits Peak with a fire that burned 160,104 hectares (65,000 hectares).
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