New Mexico Fire Largest in State History

A wildfire burning in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest has consumed more than 265 square miles, becoming the state’s largest wildfire in history.

Officials told The Associated Press that the fire has grown to more than 170,000 acres. Last year’s fire in New Mexico burned 156,593 acres in Las Conchas.

“We [are] still facing adverse weather conditions that are posing a challenge,” fire spokesman Jerry Perry told the news agency. “We’re doing a lot of burnout operations, and yesterday we had to deal with a lot of spot fires.”

The fire has zero percent containment, with officials worrying that it might expand even larger due to dry and windy conditions.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez told businesses to apply for loans if they are affected by the fire.

“As a result of this fire, small businesses are unquestionably feeling the impact, and I want to make sure that these businesses and their surrounding communities can take advantage of any assistance possible,” she said, according to MSNBC.