Federal investigators have pinpointed the origin of the Trigo Fire that burned nearly 14,000 acres and destroyed 59 homes in the Manzano Mountains and believe turkey hunters started the fire that burned for almost a month, according to the Mountain View Telegraph and KRQE News 13.

U.S. Forest Service criminal investigator Terry McGaha, who is heading the investigation into the cause of the fire, told News 13 the start of the fire has been traced to one square yard in the Trigo Canyon on the west side of the Manzanos before it jumped to the east side of the mountains and spread into populated areas.

McGaha told the Mountain View Telegraph last week that investigators don't know whether a turkey hunter started the fire because the point of origin had been "destroyed by the initial attack fire crews" and some evidence may have been erased.

"I won't comment on whether is was a cigarette butt or a campfire, but there were people known to be in the area that morning, and we are pursuing leads," McGaha told the Telegraph. 

"We actually have an eyewitness who saw individuals near the point of origin when smoke was first observed," McGaha told KRQE this week. "These individuals were dressed in camouflage and were carrying long guns."

The fire, which began on April 15, started on the first day of turkey hunting season, investigators told News 13 and the Telegraph

"(The hunters) were actually seen scurrying around the point of origin when the smoke started coming up and were actually seen running down the canyon away from the point of origin," McGaha told News 13.

McGaha said the hunters likely knew they had started the fire, but investigators told KRQE that does not mean the fire was intentionally set.

Those responsible for starting the fire could be held responsible for the damage and the costs of fighting it, the station reported. Costs of fighting the fire alone approached $11 million, according to earlier reports.

Anyone with information that could be helpful to investigators is asked to call (505) 842-3187.

According to the most recent release from the Mountainair Ranger District, the last smoke from the Trigo Fire was spotted and extinguished on May 22. 

8:05am 5/20/08 -- Trigo Fire Victims Eligible for Aid: Low-interest SBA loans now available to individuals, businesses who suffered losses.

Individuals and businesses who suffered property loss during the recent Trigo Fire in the Manzano Mountains are now eligible for financial assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), according to a release from Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M.

Low-interest SBA loans are now available to qualifying residents and businesses in Torrance, Valencia, Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Guadalupe, Lincoln, San Miguel and Socorro counties, which SBA Administrator Steve Preson have designated a business disaster area, Domenici's office announced.

Individuals interested in receiving aid can call 1-800-659-2955 or click on www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance, according to the release.

Starting today and through June 5, SBA representatives will be available at the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the Estancia Town Hall, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the release said.

Eligible homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to replace or repair their damaged or destroyed primary residence, and homeowners and renters may be eligible to borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, Domenici's office said.

Businesses and nonprofit organizations may be eligible to borrow up to $1.5 million to deal with the loss of business assets, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to help meet working capital needs of local businesses.

1:10pm 5/13/08 -- Flood Warnings Follow Trigo Fire: Officials say rains tonight and Wednesday could threaten homes in fire area.

Officials overseeing the Trigo Fire say "significant rain" is possible tonight and Wednesday that could threaten communities and homes downstream from the fire with flooding, according to a news release.

Especially susceptible to flooding is the area between the communities of Manzano and Torreon as well as the drainages of the New, Cuervo, Jaral and Torreon canyons, the release said.

The National Weather Service has posted a flash flood watch for a sliver of Central New Mexico, including the Trigo Fire area, from midnight tonight through Wednesday afternoon.

A half to three-quarters of an inch of rain could fall on the area, and an inch isn't out of question as a storm currently over Arizona moves slowly eastward across New Mexico, the weather service said.

The combination of moderate to heavy rainfall and extreme scarring from the month-old fire could lead to serious flash flooding in the Trigo Fire area, according to the weather service. 

Fire officials said in an earlier news release that containment lines held on Monday despite record low humidity and strong winds gusting over 40 mph.

Late Monday afternoon, a small patch of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter actively burned, prompting worried residents to call the Fire Information Center, the release said.

Officials said this would be a common occurrence until the fire, which has burned 13,709 acres and is 100 percent contained, is completely controlled, that is, cold and dead.

Management of the fire is being handed over to a Type 3 team at 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to the release. 

6:40am 5/12/08 -- Trigo Fire Fully Contained: Isolated pockets continue to burn as reduced crews keep an eye on today's winds.

Fire officials announced Sunday that the Trigo Fire, which has been burning in the Manzano Mountains for nearly a month, was 100 percent contained, although isolated pockets continued to burn, the Albuquerque Journal reported this morning.

Today's weather forecast includes a red flag warning and a wind advisory for the fire area, so the 218 firefighters still on scene, along with several helicopters and six fire engines, must have an uncomfortable recollection of April 30.

That's the day the fire was declared 95 percent contained but high winds fanned new life into the blaze after sparks jumped over the lines and it tripled in size within two days, the Journal reported.

Sunday's Journal asked whether fire crews left too early on that day.

But the next question to be answered is, who started the fire that has burned a total of 59 homes and has cost nearly $11 million to date?

1:15pm 5/9/08 -- Officials Say Trigo Fire Winding Down:Domenici to visit site of wildfire that has burned nearly 14,000 acres, cost $9.8 million.

Fire officials continue to mop up the 13,709-acre Trigo Fire in the Manzano Mountains, saying they've been able to hold containment lines despite strong winds over the past few days and are expected to gust up to 36 mph today, The Associated Press is reporting.

"It's winding down, and hopefully it will stay that way," U.S. Forest Service public information officer Linda Kearns told the AP.

Officials report today that the fire that has been burning since April 15 is now 80 percent contained and that they hope to have full containment by 6 p.m. Sunday, according to an Incident Management Team release.

Containment means that firefighters have completed a line around the fire by constructing fire line or using natural barriers to stop the fire's spread, according to the release.

A fire is only considered controlled when burning hot spots have cooled and are not likely to jeopardize those fire lines, the release said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., announced today that he will tour the Trigo Fire area Saturday morning to get a first-hand look at the devastation the fire has wrought, including the destruction of 59 homes, according to a senator's office news release.

Domenici will meet with new Regional Forester Corbin Newman and representatives of the U.S. Forest Service, New Mexico State Forestry Division, Torrance County and Isleta Pueblo to be briefed on current efforts to snuff out the fire, to assess damage and begin recovery efforts.

"This has been a relentless fire and I have nothing but admiration for how the firefighters are persevering through severe conditions to control this fire," Domenici said in the release. "I want to get a sense of the damage on the ground and commit to supporting relief and recovery efforts, in the event it involves federal agencies."

There are 523 firefighters on the ground today, along with 17 engines, five water tenders, four helicopters and a bulldozer, and the cost of fighting the Trigo Fire is more than $9.8 million to date, according to the AP report.

1:45pm 5/8/08 -- Sunday Containment for Trigo Fire?: Crews on 13,709-acre wildfire bracing today for high winds, red flag warning.

Crews are bracing for strong winds out of the north and northwest this afternoon, and the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for 1 to 6 p.m., the peak burning period on the Trigo Fire that has burned 13,709 acres since starting on April 15, fire officials said in a news release.

Containment lines will be tested again today, and atmospheric instability and gusty winds are expected for the next few days, but fire officials are now estimating full containment by 6 p.m. Sunday, according to the release.

The fire is currently 75 percent contained, officials said.

5:50am -- Trigo Fire Assistance Available: Wildfire in Manzano Mountains now reported to be 75 percent contained.

Fire officials are reporting that the Trigo Fire, burning since April 15 in the Manzano Mountains, is now 75 percent contained and has been held to 13,680 acres for the past four days, despite windy conditions, the Albuquerque Journal reported this morning.

"The wind and heat of the day tested our lines but they held up," Buck Wickham, operations section chief, said in a news release last night.

Meanwhile, Torrance County has set up an office to help residents who have lost homes or property, including information on temporary and long-term housing as well as money toward utilities and rental deposits, the Journal reported.

And anyone who wishes to donate nonmonetary assistance can call the Torrance County Project Office at (505) 832-0332. Or mail donations to Torrance County Project Office, Attn: Safety Net Fund, P.O. Box 177, Moriarty NM 87035.

Those wishing to donate to the Mid-Rio Grande Chapter of the American Red Cross can call (505) 265-8514 or go to www.redcrossalbq.org, according to the Mountain View Telegraph.

Another organization providing aid is the Bethel Community Storehouse, on the east side of N.M. 41, south of Interstate 40, which provides food, clothing and toiletries for those in need and has put people up in motels and referred people for counseling, the Telegraph reported.

The storehouse is asking for donations of food, toiletries and cash donations and can be reached at (505) 832-6642. Donations are being accepted between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Telegraph said. 

9:55am 5/6/08 -- Trigo Fire 55 Percent Contained: Firefighters report progress, but officials keep wary eye on this afternoon's weather.

The Trigo Fire, which began on the west side of the Manzano Mountains on April 15, has destroyed 59 homes and burned 13,680 acres -- a figure that hasn't changed for a day now -- and is now reported as 55 percent contained, according to the latest Incident Management Team release.

Fire crews on Monday were able to take advantage of somewhat calmer winds to reinforce the fire's northeast containment lines and work on burning unburnt fuel within the lines, according to the release and The Associated Press .

Visible smoke columns from this deliberate burning were causing some concern to residents who were returning to their homes after being evacuated last week, the release said.

And, according to the release, residents of the Sherwood Forest development were expected to be allowed to return soon.

"The weather -- knock on wood -- has been cooperating," fire information officer Paula Shattuck told the AP on Monday.

But today's weather forecast for the firefighting area is calling for south winds from 10 to 20 mph increasing this afternoon to southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service also upgraded its fire weather watch over the Sandia/Manzano mountains area to a red flag warning from 2 this afternoon to 8 tonight.

Today's weather could complicate fire behavior, with the unstable air, low relative humidity and gusty, dry winds expected to move in this afternoon, according to the Trigo Fire Web site.

The current temperature is 76, winds are from the south at 22 mph and the humidity is at 14 percent, according to the Web site. 

10:30am 5/5/08 -- Weather Helping Crews Corral Trigo Fire: Officials report 50 percent containment on nearly 3-week-old blaze in the Manzanos.

This morning's weather has helped firefighters get a handle on the Trigo Fire that has burned 59 homes and some 13,680 acres -- nearly 21 square miles -- in the Manzano Mountains since April 15, The Associated Press is reporting.

Calm, cool weather could give way later today to isolated thunderstorms accompanied by wind, fire information officer Paula Shattuck told the AP. 

Officials reported this morning that the fire is 50 percent contained, the AP said.

5:50am -- Trigo Fire 45 Percent Contained: Tajique, Torreon residents allowed to return Sunday; N.M. 55 back open.

The Trigo Fire, which began April 15 and was nearly over last Wednesday when afternoon winds blew it out of control, is now 45 percent contained after burning nearly 14,000 acres and destroying 59 homes, according to this morning's Albuquerque Journal.

The fire has cost more than $7.5 million to fight so far.

Residents of Tajique and Torreon were allowed back in their homes on Sunday, after being evacuated last week, and N.M. 55 reopened Sunday afternoon, the Journal reported.

Officials don't know how soon residents of the devastated Sherwood Forest subdivision can go back to what's left of their homes, according to the Journal.

A shelter has been set up at the Estancia Community Center, and briefings for residents is being held daily at 1 p.m. until further notice, the Journal reported. 

1:25pm 51/08 -- Tajique, Torreon Evacuated: Authorities ask roughly 400 to 500 people to leave homes on east side of Manzanos.

Residents of the Torrance County village of Tajique have been asked to leave their homes today, joining earlier evacuation requests for Torreon and other communities and neighborhoods threatened by the more than 2-week-old Trigo Fire, KOAT-TV is reporting.

Residents of the area of Sufi Campground, Sherwood Forest, Apple Mountain Campground and Ten Pines Road were urged to leave their homes after the Trigo Fire exploded to more than twice its size, growing from under 5,000 acres to 11,368 acres overnight, Action 7 News reported.

Evacuees were being sent to the Estancia Community Center on Williams Street in Estancia.

Here's the latest information from fire officials from the Trigo Wildland Fire Web site.

And here's the most recent map of the fire's extent. 

10:00am UPDATE: Gov. Bill Richardson will meet this afternoon with federal, state and local fire officials at the Southwest Coordinating Center in Albuquerque for a briefing on the status of firefighting crews and resources, status of evacuations and level of fire damage from the Trigo Fire that has more than doubled in size overnight in the Manzano Mountains.

Meanwhile, the Torrance County Emergency Office will hold a briefing for evacuees at 1 p.m. today at the Estancia Community Center for the latest on possible threats and any damage that may have occurred as a result of the Trigo Fire, according to the Albuquerque Journal's T.J. Wilham, who will be there.

11:43am -- Trigo Fire More Than Doubles in Size: Once-quiescent wildfire explodes overnight to 11,368 acres at last count.

The Trigo Fire in the Manzano Mountains, which had been reported 95 percent contained at about 5,000 acres on Wednesday, was said earlier today to have tripled in size, but at last count it has burned 11,368 acres with no containment, fire information officer Murt Sullivan tells ABQjournal.com.

The fire jumped its containment lines around 3 p.m. Wednesday and began burning in a northeasterly direction, fanned by strong winds and crossing Forest Road 55 to a point west of the village of Tajique, Sullivan told us.

The direction of the fire and danger to nearby communities, such as Torreon, Manzano and Tajique, will depend on the speed and direction of the wind, which is currently blowing from the west at about 10-15 mph, but is expected to get much stronger as the day goes on, according to Sullivan.

Residents of Torreon, the Sherwood Forest subdivision, Applecanyon Ranch and along Ten Pines Road, were told to leave their homes on Wednesday, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

And there was no word this morning when residents of some 400 homes that were evacuated could return, according to a report on KOB-TV.

There were about 180 firefighters on hand Wednesday, but a Hotshot crew and two Type II hand crews have been added to the mix overnight and eight more crews are on the way, Sullivan said.

A Type I Incident Command Team will take over firefighting efforts today, after a Type II team had been downgraded to a Type III team just the day before yesterday, he told us.

The Type I team was ordered when it appeared that surrounding communities were in the path of the fire, according to a Forest Service news release.

A Type I incident means that firefighters from throughout the country will be flying in to deal with the fire today, according to KRQE News 13. 

No helicopters are expected to take off today, because of wind conditions, and it is still unknown whether the expected high winds will allow air tankers to attack the fire, according to Sullivan.

The National Forest fire lookout worker who was reported stranded in a lookout tower on Capilla Peak after the fire blew up on Wednesday is in no danger, Sullivan told us. 

5:15pm 4/30/08  -- Winds Whip Up Trigo Fire: Containment lines breached this afternoon forcing some evacuations.

The nearly 4,900-acre Trigo Fire that had been burning since April 15 in the Manzano Mountains flared up again around 3 this afternoon, forcing the evacuation of some homes on Ten Pines Road and the Sherwood Forest subdivision, according to KOB-TV and The Associated Press.

Crews had contained about 95 percent of the fire as of this morning and were basically mopping up when strong winds pushed the fire past containment lines on the northern edge of the fire, the AP reported.

The fire was said to be burning away from the village of Manzano, but residents of Torreon were put on high alert for the possibility of evacuation, according to KOB-TV.

The Red Cross was setting up a shelter for evacuees in the town of Estancia, Eyewitness News 4 reported. 

9:55am -- Trigo Fire All But Out: Crews mopping up or doing burned area emergency rehabilitation, officials report.

The Trigo Fire that has been burning in the Manzano Mountains since April 15 is now 95 percent contained, fire officials at the Mountainair Ranger District said Tuesday night.

The total acreage burned has been downsized to 4,832 acres, officials said in a news release.

While the fire continues to smolder and burn in spots, officials say that the smoke that is visible in surrounding communities is no cause for alarm, but the aftereffects of burnouts that have taken place over the past several days.

Crews continue to work on mopping up and burned area rehabilitation, and there are approximately 185 firefighters still on the scene, down from the more than 500 firefighters at work at the height of the wildfire. 

Calm winds Sunday afternoon helped fire crews do burnout operations on the southern end of the 4,910-acre Trigo Fire and prepare to work on its west side today as the nearly two-week-old blaze neared full containment, The Associated Press is reporting.

Helicopters dropped about 8,000 gallons of water on hot spots Sunday, and the fire was reported 83 percent contained as of this morning, the AP reported.

"We have started demobbing some resources, starting to downsize," fire information officer Deanna Younger told the AP.

The human-caused fire has cost $5.45 million to fight so far, the AP said.

10:45am 4/25/08 -- Trigo Fire at 4,910 Acres: Calmer winds, higher humidity expected to help firefighters hold the line today.

Wind-battered firefighters are making headway on the Trigo Fire that has burned 4,910 acres so far in the Manzano Mountains, and fire officials are reporting that the fire is now 53 percent contained, according to The Associated Press.

Strong, gusty winds on Thursday prevented the use of air tankers, and only three bucket drops were made by a heavy helicopter before air operations were suspended, according to an Incident Management Team news release.

But calmer wind and higher humidity forecast for today were expected to help firefighters secure containment lines and cool any hot spots, fire information officer Arlene Perea told the AP.

Meanwhile, Cibola National Forest officials announced that the Sandia and Mountainair ranger districts will be under increased fire restrictions beginning Monday because of bone-dry humidities in the area, the AP reported.

Campfires, as well as coal and wood stoves, will be prohibited.

8:50am 4/24/08 -- Trigo Fire Stays Active Overnight: Fire now 46 percent contained, but crews keep a wary eye on expected high winds.

Swing-shift firefighters spent much of the night trying to contain fire activity on the north side of the Trigo Fire, below Capilla Peak, while the east and west sides of the fire have cooled down, according to an Incident Management Team news release this morning.

The fire has so far burned an estimated 4,600 acres and it is 46 percent contained, fire officials report.

Aircraft will fly today, wind conditions permitting -- and extreme winds are expected between 11 this morning and 8 tonight, with gusts of up to 40 mph, according to the release.

More than 500 firefighters are battling the fire that just doesn't want to quit, the release said.

Cost of fighting the Trigo Fire to date has grown to $3.8 million.

Meanwhile, a huge wildfire that hasn't gotten a lot of attention has burned nearly 25,000 acres of desert grass and shrubs on mostly private ranch land on New Mexico's Bootheel, The Associated Press is reporting.

State Forestry Division spokesman Dan Ware said the Center Peak Fire began on April 14, probably from an abandoned campfire south of Animas, and except for an active southeastern corner, is basically petering out, the AP said.

No structures have been threatened and no one has been injured, Ware told the AP. 

10:20am 4/23/08 -- Trigo Fire Now 36 Percent Contained: Crews focus efforts on northern end of 4,425-acre fire near Capilla Peak.

Firefighters were hoping to stay ahead of predicted high winds from the south by concentrating their efforts this morning near Capilla Peak at the northern end of the 4,425-acre Trigo Fire, according to the latest from The Associated Press.

Today's forecast calls for afternoon winds from the south, and crews were preparing for gusts up to 35 mph and low humidities today through Thursday, the AP reported.

Some 25 small spot fires broke out late Tuesday afternoon on the fire's northern perimeter where firefighters were burning out fuel to strengthen the control lines, fire information officer Deanna Younger told the AP.

"We had crews there and were able to catch all of them and maintain the control line," Younger said.

The fire is currently 36 percent contained, fire officials said.

12:30pm 4/22/08 -- Officials 'Confident' Trigo Fire Human-Caused: Fire in the Manzanos has burned 4,130 acres and is 27 percent contained.

Firefighters continued to work today to bolster lines around a blaze that has burned 4,130 acres in the Manzano Mountains, The Associated Press reported.

"The weather overnight was quite calm and the wind died down," said fire information officer Dan Bastion, who said today's weather should remain relatively calm, but dry.

The Trigo Fire, that began April 15 on the west slopes of the Manzanos, has been burning on the east side of the mountains since last week, but its advance was slowed Monday night and this morning to about 1 mile west of the village of Manzano and 1.5 to 2 miles northwest of Torreon, the AP reported.

The fire -- burning mainly oak brush and pinon, juniper and ponderosa pine trees, as well as nine homes, nine outbuildings and two RVs -- was 27 percent contained and has cost $2.3 million to fight so far, Bastion told the AP.

Investigators have pinpointed where the fire began, "however they have not determined exactly who did it or how. We're quite confident it was human-caused," Bastion said.

6:20am -- Gov. To Fly Over Trigo Fire: Evacuations lifted for Manzano, Torreon; FEMA to help pay for firefighting efforts.

Voluntary evacuations for Torreon and Manzano were lifted this morning, but evacuations remain in effect for the Long Canyon area where nine homes were destroyed and nine other structures were damaged by the Trigo Fire, which continued to burn on both sides of the Manzano Mountains, KOAT-TV is reporting.

Meanwhile, Gov. Bill Richardson, who plays to survey the fire by air around 8:45 this morning, announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had agreed to the state's request to help pay the mounting costs of the Trigo Fire, which has so far cost nearly $2 million.

FEMA's Fire Management Assistance Grant covers 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs, while state and local governments will pay 25 percent, according to a release from the Governor's Office.

Following his aerial survey, the governor will meet this morning with fire officials who are coordinating efforts to fight the fire which has so far consumed some 3,750 acres and is now 27 percent contained.

Flames came dangerously close to many homes near the village of Manzano and threatened hundreds of others on Monday, but conditions had improved enough by this morning to allow residents to return to their homes, according to KOAT-TV.

A flare-up occurred around 2 p.m. Monday on the western side of the Manzanos near Meadow Lake in Valencia County, Action 7 News reported.

In other New Mexico wildfire news, the Pepper Fire in the Sacramento Mountains near the village of Weed was reported 100 percent contained on Monday, according to the Alamogordo Daily News.

Some of the 180 firefighters and crew members who battled the blaze on Monday were being released while others continued mopping up, the Daily News said.

The cause of the fire, which started on April 16 and burned some 640 acres, was still under investigation, according to a Lincoln National Forest news release. 

1:40pm 4/21/08 UPDATE: Low relative humidity, warm temperatures and dry, gusty winds -- red flag conditions -- helped the Trigo Fire gain momentum Sunday, sending a colum of interior flame into the air that sent a shower of burning embers a half mile or more to the east, Mountainair Ranger District fire information officer Arlene Perea said in a news release.

The wind-driven fire, producing flames 100 to 200 feet high, moved three miles in five hours, prompting residents of the village of Manzano to evacuate around 3 p.m. Sunday, Perea said.

As the fire moved on to the northwest of Manzano, residents of the village of Torreon also were advised to evacuate, the release said.

Residents who left their homes in Manzano and Torreon may not be allowed to return until the Torrance County Office of Emergency Services says it's OK, the release said.

Meanwhile, the fire is now being reported as 10 percent contained, with 387 firefighters on hand, including six Hotshot crews, six Type II hand crews, eight engines, four helicopters and five air tankers, according to the release.

The estimated cost of fighting the Trigo Fire so far is $1.87 million.

8:20am 4/21/08 -- Trigo Fire Nearly Triples in Size: Forestry officials tell KOAT-TV fire has grown to 3,745 acres this morning.

Forestry officials told Action 7 News that the Trigo Fire had nearly tripled in size since Sunday, growing to 3,745 acres this morning.

Fire crews say they have virtually no containment of the fire because it has grown so quickly, and Torrance County Emergency Manager John Cordova told KOAT-TV that the situation was severe.

Voluntary evacuations were still in effect for people in Manzano and Torreon, Cordova said.

Officials with the forest service are advising that residents in Tajique be ready to evacuate next, KOAT-TV said.

5:30am -- Trigo Fire Nearly Doubles in Size: Now 1,500-acre fire races down eastern slopes of Manzanos forcing evacuations.

High winds grounded air tankers and fanned the flames of the nearly week-old Trigo Fire, sending it racing between the villages of Manzano and Torreon on Sunday, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

Fire information officer Dan Bastion said the 1,500-acre fire jumped its northern boundary at Ten Pines Road and moved out of the Cibola National Forest and onto private property, the Journal reported.

The fire is still only 30 percent contained.

An estimated 200 people left their homes under a still-voluntary evacuation, but only about a dozen people registered to stay at an emergency shelter set up at the Mountainair High School, according to a report on KOAT-TV.

10:50am 4/18/08 -- Trigo Fire at 800 Acres: Firefighters work on keeping wildfire from reaching villages east of the Manzanos.

Firefighters today were strengthening a "community contingency" line between the now-800-acre Trigo Fire and rural villages on the east side of the Manzano Mountains, after a day of "substantial progress" on the fire Thursday, according to the New Mexico Type II Incident Management Team.

The fire is currently 20 percent contained, the Incident Management Team said in a news release. 

The fire, which began on the western slopes of the Manzanos Tuesday morning, crossed over to the east side of Osha Peak Wednesday night because of high winds from a passing cold front, according to releases from the Mountainair Ranger District.

Fire information officer Arlene Perea told the Mountain View Telegraph's Lee Ross this morning that a "finger of fire" about a quarter of a mile in length was burning its way down the eastern side of Osha Peak.

Clearing skies on Thursday afternoon allowed air tankers to make numerous retardant drops -- some 44,000 gallons in all -- to slow the fire's advance, the Incident Management Team reported.

And structure protection crews and engines worked to create defensible space around the Capilla Peak lookout and electronic sites, while cool temperatures and high humidity allowed hand crews to construct and reinforce lines along the fire's flanks, the release said.

Crews lined some spot fires on the east side of the mountains Thursday, and will continue to encircle and cool down any remaining flames.

No community evacuations have been ordered so far, but residents east of the mountains are asked to be prepared just in case -- to have important papers, pets, prescriptions and family photos ready in case evacuations are ordered.

Officials are expecting more active fire weather today due to warmer temperatures, lower humidities and moderate winds.

Red flag conditions are being forecast for the fire area as of Saturday afternoon, Perea told the Telegraph's Ross.

The National Weather Service is forecasting Albuquerque-area temperatures to be in the high 70s on Saturday and Sunday, with winds gusting to 30 mph on Saturday and 40 mph on Sunday. 

1:15pm 4/17/08 UPDATE: An estimated 650 acres have burned in the Trigo Fire, which is said to be 16 percent contained, Mountainair Ranger District spokeswoman Arlene Perea said in her latest fire update.

Firefighters were taking advantage of cooler temperatures and precipitation in the higher elevations of the Manzanos to establish fire lines and reinforce anchor points on the existing fire line, Perea said.

11:20am 4/17/08 -- Trigo Fire Reaches Mountain Crest: Air resources still grounded this morning because of low clouds, snow and smoke.

Although fire acreages aren't available yet, the Trigo Fire on the west slopes of the Manzano Mountains took a turn for the worse Wednesday night with the sudden arrival of a cold front, Mountainair Ranger District spokeswoman Arlene Perea told ABQjournal.com.

"A little after 8 p.m., the winds got really nasty, and the fire crossed Trigo Canyon and made a major push all the way up the hill to Osha Peak," Perea told us.

Although no evacuations have been ordered for the east side of the mountains, officials there are warning residents to be ready, Perea said.

Air resources -- canceled for two straight days because of high winds -- are grounded again today because of low clouds, smoke and even some snow in the area of the fire, Perea told us.

Winds have died down and "right now it's fairly calm," said Perea, who added that she wasn't sure whether the snow falling in the East Mountains would make much of a difference in helping dampen the fire.

"Today's another key day" in getting a handle on the fire, said Perea, because weekend temperatures are expected to warm up -- and winds to kick up again -- creating more red flag fire weather conditions.

Six Hotshot crews, inmate firefighters and three Type 2 hand crews are on scene, about 335 firefighters in all, and additional engines are being brought in to set up defenses around nearby Capilla Peak's lookout tower and communications towers, Perea said. 

9:45am -- San Pedro Fire Evacuations Lifted: Blaze near San Antonio now 40 percent contained; Trigo Fire in Manzanos still growing.

Evacuations ordered for about a dozen homes near a wind-driven blaze known as the San Pedro Fire, near San Antonio, N.M., have been lifted, The Associated Press is reporting.

The 500-acre fire, which began around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, was 40 percent contained, officials told the AP.

The San Pedro Fire destroyed an abandoned home and briefly forced the shutdown of U.S. 380 between San Antonio and Carrizozo on Wednesday, according to the AP.

Meanwhile, the Trigo Fire, which was first reported around 10 a.m. Tuesday, grew overnight Wednesday, pushing northeast to Osha Peak and officials worried that if it continued to spread, nearby Capilla Peak with its lookout tower and communications towers could be threatened, according to a KOAT-TV report this morning.

Officials told Action 7 News that the Trigo Fire was 16 percent contained and could burn for several days before the fire is completely out.

And while the fire continued to burn solely on the western slopes of the Manzano Mountains, Torrance County officials are telling residents of the communities just over the mountains to be ready to evacuate in case the Trigo Fire jumps to the east side, KOAT-TV reported.

The air battle against the Trigo Fire was stymied for the second day in a row on Wednesday, as high winds forced the grounding of air tankers and helicopters, and the exact size of the fire -- last estimated at 250 to 300 acres -- is pending official GPS perimeter mapping, according to a news release from the Mountainair Ranger District.

Another wildfire was reported around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Lincoln National Forest, about 7 or 8 miles southwest of the small mountain village of Weed, according to a Las Cruces Sun-News report.

The so-called Pepper Fire had burned an estimated 150 acres and was zero percent contained as of this morning, the Sun-News reported. 

The Trigo Fire burning up a canyon on the west slopes of the Manzano Mountains continued to grow overnight to an estimated 400 to 600 acres, Mountainair Ranger District spokeswoman Arlene Perea said in her latest fire update.

Fire personnel hope to resume an air attack on the fire that was called off Tuesday afternoon because of high winds, but the use of air tankers and helicopters will depend on weather conditions today, Perea said.

More high winds are in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

Perea said the 400- to 600-acre estimate may not be accurate, because the fire hasn't been mapped from the air and firefighters on the ground have yet to circle the fire.

Currently six Hotshot crews, one Type 2 hand crew, three air tankers, two helicopters and two Type 6 engines -- including approximately 185 firefighters -- have been mobilized.

But firefighters continue to face high winds and very steep, rugged terrain, as well as rolling debris that could spark blazes below the firefighters, Perea said.

And while the fire has not crossed over to the east side of the Manzanos, Torrance County emergency managers are warning east side residents to expect heavy smoke, reminding them to close doors and windows and not use their air conditioners.

Although there have been no evacuations, residents on the east side of the mountains are asked to have important papers, pets, prescriptions and other valuables ready in case they have to evacuate, Perea said in her release.

7:00am UPDATE: Six hot shot crews, a 20-person firefighting unit and an inmate work crew are expected to arrive this morning to tackle the Trigo Fire burning in a canyon on the west slope of the Manzanos this morning, KOB-TV is reporting.

There is no new estimate on how many acres have burned, KOB-TV reported.

5:05am -- Trigo Fire Up to 200 Acres: Firefighters watch winds as wildfire burns on east side of the Manzanos.

The Trigo Fire that was first reported around 10 a.m. Tuesday on the west slopes of the Manzano Mountains southwest of Capilla Peak jumped quickly from about 10 acres to around 200 acres through Trigo Canyon, KOAT-TV reported this morning.

So far no structures have been threatened and no evacuations have been ordered, but firefighters were keeping a wary eye on the fire that was burning up the east side of the mountains, concerned that it might sweep over the crest and down to the villages on the west side of the Manzanos.

The smoke could be seen from four counties, Action 7 News reported.

Late yesterday, a few loads of retardant were dropped on the fire before high winds forced the grounding of air resources, according to Mountainair Ranger District spokeswoman Arlene Perea. 

1:55pm 4/15/08 UPDATE: Air resources are currently dropping fire retardant on the Trigo Fire, burning in Trigo Canyon on the west slopes of the Manzano Mountains, Arlene Perea of the Mountainair Ranger District said in a news release.

The size of the fire is now being reported as approximately 10 acres, but Perea said information is very sketchy because of the extremely steep, rugged terrain in which it is burning.

11:50am UPDATE: The fire is burning about eight or nine miles north of where the Ojo Peak Fire consumed nearly 7,000 acres last November, Dan Ware of the state Forestry Division tells KOB-TV.

Breaking at 11:10am -- Fast-Growing Fire Reported in Manzanos: Wildfire burning 20 to 50 acres in the Mountainair Ranger District.

A rapidly growing wildfire in the Manzano Mountains was reported just before 10 this morning and has already burned some 20 to 50 acres, the Mountainair Ranger District tells the Mountain View Telegraph's Lee Ross.

The fire appears to be burning in Trigo Canyon on the west slope of the mountain below Capilla Peak, ranger district spokeswoman Arlene Perea said.

At this point, no structures are threatened, but the Capilla Peak lookout could be in peril, as well as several electronic facilities, if the fire spreads, Perea said.

"It seems to be a very active fire," Perea told Ross.

Seven firefighters from the ranger district as well as help from area firefighters are reportedly on their way, and air tankers have been requested as well as possibly a helicopter, Perea said.

No lightning was reported in the area, and fire restrictions went into effect on Monday, and it's too early to tell what caused the fire, Perea told ABQjournal.com.

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