Southwest wildfire outlook grim as flames char New Mexico

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Months of grim wildfire weather are ahead for the Southwest as a handful of large wildfires march across drought-stricken New Mexico. The flames have blackened more than 215 square miles in just the last few days, burning homes and forcing evacuations. But crews got a break Monday as cooler weather, higher humidity and much lighter winds settled over the region. Red flag warnings have expired for now, but forecasters warn that fire danger remains high around the West. The probability is high for above-normal temperatures across the Southwest for the next three months, while chances are slim that a wide swath of the region will see anything close to normal precipitation.