Wildfires are raging across 4 Western states

Ed Delgaldo, the center’s national program manager for predictive services, said in a video on the agency’s website that significant drought conditions across the Four Corners region — the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico — have persisted heading into the peak summer months.

Strong winds and low humidity is elevating the risk of new fires across the West and threatening the spread of active ones, according to CNN meteorologist Haley Brink.

The Spring Creek fire is among the largest in Colorado, devouring nearly 80,000 acres by early Tuesday, when it was just 5% contained, according to Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team.

More than 100 homes have been destroyed during the fire, which also has forced evacuations from more than 2,000 homes in the southern part of the state since last Wednesday, CNN affiliate KCNC reported.

In addition, hundreds of central Colorado residents were unable to dial 911 on Tuesday because of a Verizon and Charter phone outage attributed to the fire, the station reported.

On Saturday, Jesper Joergensen, 52, was arrested on arson charges linked to the Spring Creek fire, the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office said.

Joergensen, who is not a US citizen, will remain in detention until he has put up bond or has completed all judicial processes, after which he will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. CNN was unable to contact Joergensen or determine whether he has an attorney.