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Moin fita'i ! ,300 acres bumin several N° Mexico fiiosESPANOLA, N.M. (AP) —A 1,000-acre fire whosebillows of smoke were visible 100 miles away was burning out of control today on the Santa Fe National Forest — the latest blaze to hit the state’s dusty-dry forests.The fire was burning northwest of Espanola. It started out as two small fires which came together, then picked up so much momentum that it grew from 80 acres to 600 acres within three hours Sunday.“It had a blowup. That happens when there is a lot of fuel, said Dolores Maese, a spokeswoman for the forest. “Once it gets into the crowns of the trees, it’s like an explosion.”No structures or homes were threatened and no one had been evacuated, Maese said. But smoke was visible as far south as Albuquerque.Gov. Gary Johnson planned to meet with fire officials today to plot strategy for what is shaping up to be a long and sizzling summer. A heat wave that has gripped the state for several days sent temperatures soaring Sunday over 100 degrees throughout southern New Mexico. -“New Mexico is entering into what looks like a very long and dangerous fire season,” Johnson said in astatement Sunday.Johnson asked fire officials to meet with him today at the Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Operations Center in Santa Fe.More than 1,300 acres of New Mexico forest resources went up in flames during the weekend.A fire on the Gila National Forest in southwestern New Mexico burned through at least 320 acres and two men died Saturday when the slurry bomber they were in crashed while dropping fire retardant on theblaze. State police identified them as J.D. Donahue of Mesa, Ariz., and Chuck Key of Grand Junction, Colo.The Gila fire started Saturday afternoon but slowed down enough Sunday to allow firefighters to secure a line around 75 percent of it.Firefighters also contained a 65-acre fire near Angel Fire. It was the second fire to hit that area in a week and like the first fire forced the temporary evacuation of some 300 area residents.A portion of N.M. 144 was closed by state police to prevent onlookers from delaying firefighters from getting to the Santa Fe National Forest blaze. About 200 people, seven air tankers and three helicopters were on the fire line Sunday and several other crews were en route, Maese said. Some of those firefighters were coming from the fire at Angel Fire.
Newspaper Details
Alamogordo Daily News
Alamogordo, New Mexico, US
Mon, Jun 29, 1998
Page 1
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CA, USA 15 Oct 2019
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