Wildfire sweeps through historic Fort Stanton site in New Mexico
Smoke can be seen from the Camp Fire behind Fort Stanton (Image credits: AP)
A fast-moving wildfire swept through the historic Fort Stanton site in southern New Mexico on Monday, burning more than half a square mile (1.4 square kms) of land and prompting evacuations of nearby campgrounds and a horse ranch.
The blaze damaged three structures at the Fort Stanton historic site, a civil war-era landmark, and spread across surrounding federal conservation lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), reported AP.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, and a BLM investigator is expected to begin assessing the origin on Tuesday.
Ground crews, helicopters, and air tankers worked together to contain the fire, which remained uncontained as of Monday.
Firefighters focused on clearing vegetation lines to the north and dropping water on smoldering hotspots from the air, said Laura Rabon, spokesperson for the multi-agency response team.
While fire activity had eased somewhat due to mild weather, with temperatures around 75 degrees (24 Celsius) and 10 mph (16 kph) winds, the threat remained.
On Sunday, air tankers dropped fire retardant around the edges of the fire to help slow it down.
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A nearby horse ranch was also evacuated, and a family of four along with their horses were moved to safety. They have now returned home.
Highway 220 near Fort Stanton was closed to ensure fire crews had access, and three nearby campgrounds were evacuated and remain closed.
The fire has sparked concern in a region still recovering from devastating wildfires last year that destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses in nearby Ruidoso, located about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away. Those fires were followed by severe flooding and erosion.
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