By Andrew Hay

ANGOSTURA (N.M.) – The United States’ largest wildfire swept through a New Mexico valley and drove it towards a third country.

Arellano sat in an evacuation center in Peñasco on Monday and grieved the loss of timbered mountainsides around her home in Holman after the fire leaped across the Mora valley about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of state capital Santa Fe.

As Arellano, who was a “mayordoma”, said “I’m the land” and wiped her tears away. She is in charge of “acequias” irrigation channels. It is still burning, but our mountains are gone.”

Although it is smaller than Chicago, the Hermits Peak Calf Canyon Fire, also known as the Hermits Peak Calf Canyon Fire, is now moving towards the north. It has been controlled to the east, but the flames are still raging through land with deep religious meaning to Indo Hispano villages, which were founded two centuries ago.

This blaze stretches for 35 miles and destroyed many homes, as well as other structures. 12,000 San Miguel homes were evacuated.

Taos County residents were told Monday that after more than one month of wildfires they should prepare for evacuation as the fire moved towards Angostura (tres Ritos) and Sipapu (15 miles south).

Rancher was blown off his feet by winds gusting to 66mph as he cleaned his Angostura house in preparation for the embers that would fly over one mile away from his fire.

The blaze had started at 20 miles from his home, and a U.S. Forest Service controlled fire that was set on April 6, less than five miles away shocked him.

Tres Ritos was a few miles further down. Ski area employees emptying their storage units in preparation of a possible fire.

Greg Payne (facilities maintenance manager, Sipapu ski resort, two miles away) said, “They’ve been fighting them for a month, they can’t end it.”

This fire has already burned approximately 189,767 acres or 76,890 Hectares and is now 43% under control.