The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has been raging for over a month.

Last month, several wildfires around New Mexico ignited in both wooded and populated areas, eventually merging into what has come to be known as the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. This is the largest wildfire seen in the United States so far this year, as well as the second-worst wildfire New Mexico has ever experienced.

“It’s been a nightmare,” general contractor Travis Regensberg told CNN. “It’s been really tough for us. I’ve been on this 17 days straight – three, four hours of sleep a night to protect the communities here.”

Firefighters have been setting up safety perimeters and digging fire lines with bulldozers in an effort to reroute the worst of the fire’s damage from developed areas to ensure that, whenever the fire is finally extinguished, the evacuated populace still have homes to return to.

“I’m just praying for people that are in danger, or houses or structures,” said New Mexico locals Barbara and David Kuehl. “Friends of ours have lost everything, nearly everything. … It’s really sad.”

Strong winds in the area have caused the fire to spread faster than it normally would, with the flames traveling at 50 miles per hour at one point. The winds have calmed down in the last several days, giving the fire crews time to establish more prevention measures, but the winds are expected to pick up again this weekend.

“Crews have made good progress holding & constructing fire lines & structure protection around the fire ahead of strong winds expected this weekend,” said New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Large swaths of the civilian populace are under evacuation order, including over 30 towns in San Miguel and Mora counties. “This is a long-term event, and we do not anticipate having ‘control’ of this fire any time soon,” representatives of the counties said in a joint statement.