Associated Press
CLEVELAND, N.M. — Firefighters worked by ground and air, and state police evacuated some homes as a precaution after the Medina Fire — the second wildfire in the Mora area within a week — was reported.
State Forestry Division spokesman Dan Ware said the 70-acre blaze was 70 percent contained Saturday.
"We have a line all the way around it, but we're still calling it 30 percent contained through the night,'' Ware said. "The reason for that is because when the winds come in tomorrow we want to make sure those lines will hold.''
Between 80 and 100 firefighters battled the fire, along with a single-engine air tanker, two heavy air tankers and a helicopter. However, Ware said municipal and volunteer crews were released late Friday, leaving State Forestry firefighters and three Hot Shot crews overnight.
The blaze was burning in Ponderosa pine off New Mexico 518. Officials said some structures were threatened near Encinal Canyon.
Ware said the blaze was caused by somebody who dumped hot ashes from a barbeque grill into an outside trashcan.
Preparations were made to house residents at the Mora High School gymnasium, but Ware said all evacuations were voluntary.
Earlier this week, firefighters contained the 16,600-acre Ojo Feliz Fire, which forced evacuations in the Mora County villages of Ojo Feliz and Los Hueros. It was accidentally started by particles in the exhaust of a truck that had been parked in tall grass.
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