New Mexico fire far from contained

But resort residents allowed return home

May 8, 1996
Web posted at: 12:25 a.m. EDT

RED RIVER, New Mexico (CNN) -- A wind-swept forest fire in the mountains and canyons of northern New Mexico had burned more than 7,600 acres by Tuesday evening, but officials said that because it was maintaining its distance from the resort community of Red River, residents were being allowed to go home. (1.1M QuickTime movie)

The fire remained about seven miles from the community. Officials said that the fire should take two to three days to reach Red River if it starts to move again. But if it flares up, they said, residents should be prepared to leave quickly.

A fresh contingent of 700 firefighters arrived Monday to fight the blaze, dubbed the "Hondo" fire because it has burned portions of the Hondo Wilderness Study Area. It has also burned 27 homes and forced more than 2,000 people to evacuate since it was sparked Sunday afternoon in San Cristobal.

Among the evacuees: residents of Lama, a New Age spiritual community where about a dozen buildings were destroyed. However, the town's central meditation center was not burned. Lama's prayer flags continued to flutter in the wind, untouched by the flames.

"We took what we could carry. Everything else is gone," said Lama resident Polly Fox, who fled after filling her car with personal belongings.

Fire chief Ron Burnham said it was unlikely the huge blaze would be contained within the next three days, partly because conditions were ripe for it to spread. The soil is so dry in the normally moist area, said New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, the state "is not even safe to strike a match in."

Normally the Red River area is considered too wet to be much of a fire hazard. In fact, the Forest Service says it hasn't burned in at least 100 years. The fact that the region caught fire this year reflects similar fire hazards throughout much of the West.

Related stories:

• New Mexico blaze threatens ski resort - May 7, 1996
• New Mexico wildfire chases residents from homes - May 6, 1996
• Arizona, California wildfires being contained - May 5, 1996
• Wildfires blaze in three Western states - April 29, 1996
• Fire in New Mexico edges toward nuclear facility - April 28, 1996

Related sites:

• La Plaza Hondo Fire emergency information
• National Interagency Coordination Center Incident Management Reports - a ftp site that contains updated reports on forest fires
• The International Fire Information Network
• USDA Forest Service

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