By Sean Olson
The Albuquerque Journal
MORA COUNTY, N.M. — At least 10 wildfires were burning across New Mexico on Thursday evening, including the growing Donaldson Complex Fire, which had moved within 12 miles of Ruidoso Downs and burned one home.
Three new fires sprang up Thursday: one in Mora County, one near Magdalena and another near Reserve. None had caused evacuations as of Thursday evening. Residents suspected the Mora County fire was caused by fireworks.
The Donaldson fire expanded to 72,650 acres Thursday - from 45,000 acres late Wednesday - as it moved west from Alamo Canyon across two more ridges, said Kerry Gladden, village of Ruidoso spokeswoman. More than 300 firefighters were assigned to the blaze. Six structures and one home burned in Alamo Canyon, which has been evacuated.
High winds in the afternoon facilitated the fire’s movement, and overcast skies Thursday evening had not yielded any rain, Gladden said.
The Mora County Head Start Fire, so named because it was lit near a preschool in Holman, had burned about 20 acres in the Mora County and was roughly 10 percent contained. Holman residents suspected a human cause, possibly fireworks, for the fire outbreak.
The new Milligan Fire, south of Magdalena, had burned 20 acres by about 6 p.m. Thursday.
Little was known about the Black Horse Fire, which broke out southeast of Reserve on Thursday afternoon, but only local firefighters and some air power had responded.
The 346 Fire, about five miles south of Belen, was 100 percent contained as of 6 p.m. Thursday, said Daniel Ware, New Mexico Forestry Division spokesman. The Moreno Fire between Silver City and Santa Clara that had caused the brief evacuations of about 40 homes was also 100 percent contained after burning about 9 acres, Ware said.
The Little Lewis Fire, which caused the evacuation of 250 homes in the communities of Weed and Sacramento, had not grown by Thursday evening. Firefighters had managed to get 15 percent containment.
The Pacheco Fire, near the Santa Fe ski area, also remained static as crews increased containment to 27 percent.
Copyright 2011 Albuquerque Journal