Fire officials say at least 30 homes in the southern New Mexico mountain village of Timberon are among approximately 60 structures destroyed or damaged by a wildfire.
Fire management team spokeswoman Beth Mitchell says it’s been difficult to determine from what’s left of additional buildings whether they were homes or something else. She says all that’s left in some cases are roof remains and that workers need to contact owners who live elsewhere to ask them about their property.
Also included among the destroyed are 16 vehicles and 14 RVs, as well as one engine from the Timberon Volunteer Fire Department, which burned due to mechanical failure. Mitchell says crews have a line around the fire but that it hasn’t been widened and strengthened enough to deem it containment.
No injuries have been reported from the fire, which started Wednesday and has burned nearly a half square-mile. The cause remains under investigation. With local support, 160 resources are currently involved in the extinguishment effort, including engines, hand crews, air attacks, and dozers. Temperatures are currently in the high 80s to low 90s, with a chance of thunderstorms and strong, erratic winds later today. Light precipitation is possible from those storms.
Crews are also fighting the Guadle Fire near Rawhide Draw north of Queen, which was detected at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Three engines, approximately 15 firefighters, a single-engine air tanker, two heavy air tankers, and two helicopters are assigned to the 139-acre blaze, which is currently at 30-percent containment.
