Wildfires in NM, Calif. grow ahead of heatwave

Wildfires have forced a state of emergency in New Mexico and evacuations in California as crews seek to contain the blazes ahead of an expected heatwave, according to Saturday reports.

{mosads}The Guardian reported that New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R) declared a state of emergency and called on the National Guard to prepare to assist in fighting the fire, which has blazed across more than 16,000 acres and destroyed dozens of homes.

Meanwhile, the so-called Sherpa fire in California started on Wednesday in the Los Padres National Forest and tripled in size on Thursday night to over 4,000 acres.

About 1,200 firefighters are battling the blaze in Santa Barbara.

“We’re trying to take advantage of the cooler weather right now and do as much work as possible before the heat comes in,” a spokesman for the South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team told KPCC.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire, but the years-long drought in California has made the state particularly susceptible to such blazes.