By Jim Kalvelage
The Ruidoso News
LINCOLN COUNTY, N.M. — Lightning strikes in eastern Lincoln County sparked two fires Tuesday afternoon. The Border Fire, near an area along U.S. Highway 70 known as Border Hill, burned mostly grass on about 435 acres.
The Lincoln County Office of Emergency Services, the Hondo Volunteer Fire Department, and resources from the Bureau of Land Management responded to the location, said Emergency Services Director Travis Atwell. One truck from the Glencoe Volunteer Fire Department was also dispatched.
“The fire was initially 50 acres when we arrived but due to a thunder cell pushing downward winds, that thing grew to 435 acres before we finally stopped it,” Atwell said. “We went direct attack on it and got real aggressive. We actually had one spot that fingered straight up to a ridge top. We actually took care of it with a six-wheeler.”
The six-wheeler, mounted with water, a pump and other equipment can get into locations traditional fire vehicles have difficulty with.
“When it started making the runs to the north, it took a while to get the heavier trucks up to the top, so we went up on top with the six-wheeler and got it stopped there,” Atwell. “That little thing has paid for itself,” he said of the Polaris six-wheel drive. “I’m hoping to get the funding to get three more. We would pre-position them in a couple of (fire) districts that have command vehicles to tow them with. And then we’ll train the personnel on how to use them.”
Most of the firefighters that responded to the blaze returned at 10 p.m.
The BLM checked the location Wednesday morning and found a few fence posts that were still smoking.
Another small fire triggered just minutes before the Border Fire in Arabela was snuffed out by the Arabela Volunteer Fire Department.
Atwell said even though there has been rain in recent days, fires can still occur.
“Friday (Aug. 26) we were at the O-Bar-O Ranch just north of Nogal, there at (highways) 37 and 380. We had a lightning strike there,” Atwell said. “With the rain comes lightning.”
The emergency services director said there has been good moisture through the center of the county, but there are dry conditions in the east and west.
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