Dust storms and strong winds rage across New Mexico as transit authorities close major highways

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Dust storms, strong gusts and at least two brush fires descended on New Mexico on Tuesday, snarling highway traffic, knocking out power and setting buildings ablaze.

The National Weather Service pushed an emergency alert to cellphones that warned of zero-visibility conditions and adverse health consequences for infants and the elderly. And in some parts of the state, gusts have reached as high as 70 mph (113 kph).

The state is being hit by strong winds off an area of low pressure directly over Kansas on Tuesday evening, while extremely dry conditions over the last few months have created prime conditions for fire threat and dust storms, said Marc Chenard, meteorologist for the weather service.

Dry, dusty weather reduced visibility to almost zero in some instances amid gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) along the Albuquerque-Santa Fe corridor and high plains communities in Torrance County, including towns along Interstate 40. Interstate 25 was opened after a brief closure near Cochiti Pueblo due to dust, wind and poor visibility.

Blinding dust prompted New Mexico’s transportation department to close a 130-mile stretch of Interstate 10, from the Arizona state line to the outskirts of Las Cruces, along with state highways near Deming.

High winds also led to road closures in the state's oil-producing region near Roswell and Carlsbad.

“Motorists should not drive into a dust storm. Pull aside and stay alive,” the National Weather Service said in a dust-storm warning.

More than 39,000 customers were without power by Tuesday evening, according to PowerOutage.us. The utility PNM said on X that it was responding to several outages due to high winds and suggested its customers prepare for the possibility of more outages.

Authorities also warned of extreme conditions in the event of wildfire, in the aftermath of a grasslands fire that prompted evacuations Friday on the outskirts of Wagon Mound.

A brush fire ignited in Bosque Farms, a village just south of Albuquerque, temporarily closing part of Highway 47, according to Albuquerque TV station KOAT. The Valencia County Fire Department said in a social media post that the fire has “burned structures,” though the number of buildings that sustained damage was not immediately clear.

Beyond New Mexico, dust storms last week resulted in a pileup in western Kansas on Interstate 70 involving dozens of cars and trucks that left eight people dead.

The wind and dust sweep over Highway 14 obscuring the road and the sky on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Santa Fe, N.M. (Gabriela Campos/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)

The wind and dust sweep over Highway 14 obscuring the road and the sky on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Santa Fe, N.M. (Gabriela Campos/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP)

This image provided by the Kansas Highway Patrol shows the aftermath of a pileup on Interstate 70 near Goodland, Kan., caused by a dust storm and involving more than 70 vehicles, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Kansas Highway Patrol via AP)

Dust fills the sky in Albuquerque, N.M., Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

Dust fills the sky in Albuquerque, N.M., Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

Dust fills the sky in Albuquerque, N.M., Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

Dust shrouds buildings in Albuquerque, N.M., Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

Strong winds and dust obscure the Santa Ana Star Casino in Bernalillo, N.M., Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Jessica Baca/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Dust obscures Albuquerque, N.M., as pictured near the Menaul Trailhead on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Jon Austria/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Construction workers work on a trench across as high winds and dust blow across 2nd Street NW in Albuquerque, N.M., Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Jon Austria/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Winds whip across Tramway Boulevard NE in Albuquerque, N.M., Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Jon Austria/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Travel is highly discouraged in the #ABQ metro through Tuesday afternoon, March 18, 2025, due to visibility below a quarter mile from blowing dust and dangerous crosswinds of up to 70 mph on north to south roads and highways, in downtown Albuquerque, N.M., looking west from Route 66. (AP Photo/Roberto E. Rosales)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Wildfires fueled by dry conditions and gusting winds burned in a few Southern states Thursday, forcing evacuations in Texas and prompting Florida officials to close part of a major highway with spring break in high gear.

A wildfire in Sam Houston National Forest near Houston prompted the evacuation of about 900 homes and closed schools. The National Weather Service issued elevated fire warnings around the nation’s fourth-largest city.

The fire, which started Wednesday, had burned about 3.7 square miles (9.6 square kilometers) and was only about 20% contained Thursday afternoon as firefighters used water-carrying helicopters to douse hot spots and bulldozers to dig containment lines, the Texas A&M Forest Service said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage, but the Cleveland Independent School District, which has about 12,000 students, canceled classes as a precaution.

Firefighters and law enforcement “did an such unbelievable job yesterday in protecting homes, animals, livestock and people. We’ve lost basically nothing, which is hard to believe,” the county’s top elected official, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, said.

However, he said, expected wind gusts Thursday along with a drop in humidity could make the situation disastrous.

"We’re asking the people who evacuated last night to stay still away from their homes,” Keough said.

In the Florida Keys, a large brush fire that began Tuesday caused authorities to close the two roads leading in and out of the island chain, because of smoky conditions and to allow firefighters to move equipment.

Officials said the fire had burned about 34 square miles (88 square kilometers) and was about 20% contained.

Spring break is in full swing in Florida, and officials said U.S. 1, the major thoroughfare that connects the mainland to the islands, was expected to have intermittent closures in the coming days. It is also a heavily traveled road for people who live on the mainland and work at many of the hotels and restaurants in Key Largo and beyond.

In Arkansas, crews responded to nearly than 100 fires Wednesday that were fueled by high winds and were dealing with five new ones Thursday.

The fires closed several highways, including a portion of Interstate 530 southeast of Little Rock due to heavy smoke.

Flames damaged structures in several cities, including Little Rock. The roof collapsed at St. Joseph’s, a 115-year-old building in North Little Rock that once served as an orphanage and is now the home of a nonprofit that provides urban farming resources.

The South has experienced recent cold and dry conditions, followed by gusting winds, that have fanned the flames.

Texas has seen fire hazards range from the far northern Panhandle, where ground vegetation froze and dried out, and push hundreds of miles east to the coast.

South Florida has seen every little rainfall over the past few weeks. The rainy season doesn't start until sometime around mid-May. Another cold front with dry air is expected to push through South Florida on Thursday night, said meteorologist Donal Harrigan with the National Weather Service in Miami.

The weather service issued Red Flag warnings for fire conditions in east Texas and South Florida and could extend them for several days.

Red flag warnings are issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are ripe for fires. In southeast Texas, weather service officials predicted wind gusts of 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour), combined with humidity as low as 18%. That combination will continue to dry out vegetation.

Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and DeMillo reported from Little Rock, Arkansas.

A utility vehicle is driven across a fire line while working to contain the Pauline Road wildfire Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A helicopter carries water to battle the Pauline Road wildfire Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Fire crew members drive along a fire line while working to contain the Pauline Road wildfire Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A fire crew member drives back to a staging site while working to contain the Pauline Road wildfire Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Fire crews drive along a fire line while working to contain the Pauline Road wildfire Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Officials work at a staging area at Olde Security Square Flea Market to respond to a growing wildfire near Cleveland, Texas, Thursday, March 20, 2025. ( Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A helicopter pulls water from Kade Lake to respond to a growing wildfire near Cleveland, Texas, Thursday, March 20, 2025. ( Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A helicopter drops a bucket to gather water to battle the Pauline Road wildfire Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A helicopter carries a bucket of water to battle the Pauline Road wildfire Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A helicopter drops a bucket to gather water to battle the Pauline Road wildfire Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A helicopter drops a bucket to gather water to battle the Pauline Road wildfire Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Firefighters spray water on a fire near the Walmart at 700 Bowman Rd., Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in Little Rock, Ark. (Adam Vogler/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

In this image taken from video provided by WSVN-TV, a brush fire burns across and over Card Sound Road, the only other road connecting the Keys to Florida City on the mainland, as it remains closed Tuesday, March 18, 2025, south of Dade County, Fla. (WSVN-TV via AP)

In this image taken from video provided by WSVN-TV, a brush fire burns across and over Card Sound Road, the only other road connecting the Keys to Florida City on the mainland, as it remains closed Tuesday, March 18, 2025, south of Dade County, Fla. (WSVN-TV via AP)

In this image taken from video provided by WSVN-TV, a brush fire burns along U.S. 1 as a helicopter flies above after dropping water Tuesday, March 18, 2025, south of Dade County, Fla. (WSVN-TV via AP)

In this image taken from video provided by WSVN-TV, a brush fire burns along U.S. 1 as a helicopter carrying a water tank flies toward the fire Tuesday, March 18, 2025, south of Dade County, Fla. (WSVN-TV via AP)

In this image taken from video provided by WSVN-TV,, brush fire burns across and over Card Sound Road, the only other road connecting the Keys to Florida City on the mainland, as it remains closed Tuesday, March 18, 2025, south of Dade County, Fla. (WSVN-TV via AP)

North Little Rock and Maumelle firefighters battle a fire at the St. Joseph Center of Arkansas on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in North Little Rock, Ark. (Thomas Metthe/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

A couple embraces as North Little Rock and Maumelle firefighters fight a fire at the St. Joseph Center of Arkansas on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in North Little Rock, Ark. (Thomas Metthe/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

North Little Rock and Maumelle firefighters battle a fire at the St. Joseph Center of Arkansas on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in North Little Rock, Ark. (Thomas Metthe/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire in a wooded area behind a Walmart, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in Little Rock, Ark. (Adam Vogler/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)