Wildfire damages historic Fort Stanton, forces evacuations in New Mexico
The fire damaged structures at Fort Stanton historical site built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and a gym erected by Germans interned at the site during World War II after their ship sank.
Ground crews, air tankers and helicopters joined efforts to contain a blaze that scorched more than a square mile (3 square kilometers) of terrain at the site and surrounding conservation lands managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Laura Rabon, a spokesperson for a multiagency team responding to the situation, said crews cleared lines of vegetation Monday on the north side of the wildfire and helicopters doused smoldering hot spots with water. The fire was contained along 4% of its boundary.
The blaze at Fort Stanton is about 15 miles (24km) away from communities at Ruidoso that were ravaged by wildfires last year when several hundred homes and businesses were destroyed. Those fires were followed by devastating flooding and erosion in scorched areas.
Separately in Arizona, more than 500 firefighters and support personnel had largely contained the boundaries of a wildfire northeast of Tucson, in the Santa Catalina mountains, that has destroyed five homes in the community of Oracle. Evacuations were rescinded in some residential areas – but not all – on Monday.
Fire activity at Fort Stanton decreased amid mild high temperatures Monday of 75F (24C) and 10 mph (16 kph) winds. The source of the fire was unknown, with a BLM investigator scheduled to begin work on Tuesday.
Horses and a family of four were first evacuated on Sunday from a private ranch in the vicinity, but they had been allowed to return.
On Sunday, air tankers dropped fire retardant on the outskirts of the fire in efforts to slow its progress.
Highway 220 was closed near Fort Stanton to ensure access for firefighting crews, as more than 70 people fought the fire. Fort Stanton historical site was closed, and three nearby camping areas were evacuated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Former LSU football coach reveals absurd amount of Red Bull he used to drink
Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron says he regularly consumed between 12 and 15 Red Bulls a day at the height of his coaching career. Orgeron made the admission during a recent appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast, where he spoke candidly about life as a major college football coach. Asked about his well-known love of energy drinks, Orgeron acknowledged that his consumption had once reached extreme levels. 'I've gotten down to maybe six,' he said, referring to how many Red Bulls he drinks now. When pressed on how many he used to consume while coaching, he said, 'Oh, 12 to 15 easily.' A single 12-ounce can of Red Bull contains about 111 milligrams of caffeine, meaning Orgeron may have been ingesting anywhere from 1,332 to 1,665 milligrams of caffeine per day. Even if he was drinking the smaller 8.4-ounce cans - each with about 77 milligrams of caffeine - his daily total would still fall between 924 and 1,155 milligrams. For comparison, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that healthy adults limit their caffeine intake to no more than 400 milligrams per day. Regularly consuming significantly more than that amount can increase the risk of heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety and other cardiovascular concerns. Coaching at the FBS level is known for its grueling hours and high-pressure environment. Orgeron's schedule during his tenure at LSU, which included a national championship win in 2019, was likely no exception. Orgeron made a name for himself as the head coach of the LSU Tigers from 2016 to 2021, especially after the team went on a 15-0 run during the 2019 season. It ultimately led to the Tigers winning a national championship in January 2020 under then-quarterback Joe Burrow - defeating the Clemson Tigers. Two seasons later and Orgeron was out of the door at LSU. Brian Kelly was named as his successor in November 2021 after guiding Notre Dame back into the College Football Playoff in 2018 and 2020.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
A fire is burning one of the world's tallest trees near the Oregon coast
Authorities in Oregon are trying to extinguish a fire that is burning in one of the world's tallest trees near the state's southern coast. The Doerner Fir, a coastal Douglas Fir tree over 325 feet (99 meters) tall and estimated to be over 450 years old, has been burning since Saturday in Coos County in Oregon's Coast Range. An infrared drone flight on Tuesday showed no active flames or smoke at the top of the tree, but it detected heat within a cavity in the tree trunk some 280 feet high, federal Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Megan Harper said. Figuring out how to approach the tree from the side to douse the cavity with water has been a challenge, Harper said. Various options have been discussed, including building scaffolding or climbing adjacent trees for better positioning, or letting it smolder and monitoring to see if it reignites. Crews remained onsite Tuesday and a helicopter was on standby in case of needed water drops, she added. The Coos Forest Protective Association said Monday that helicopter bucket drops had reduced fire activity near the top of the tree. It added that sprinklers were placed at the base of the tree, where containment lines were also constructed to prevent further fire spread. The fire may impact the tree's standing in global height rankings, Harper said. 'We've lost about 50 feet of it, just from fire and pieces falling out," she said, noting that the 50 feet (15 meters) were lost through the top burning. 'So I don't know where it'll stand after this, but it's still a magnificent tree.' The cause of the fire has not been determined and is under investigation. It is the only tree on fire in the immediate vicinity, and investigators are looking at lightning data to see if there were any recent strikes in the area, Harper said. For now, the tree is not at risk of fully burning down, according to Harper. 'Right now, that is not a danger,' she said. 'The tree is so big, it's got so much mass that it would take a while for it to burn all the way through the tree." Meanwhile, those involved in the firefighting efforts want to do everything possible to save the historic tree, Harper said. 'I think people really love it,' she said of the tree. 'There's a lot of history there, and so we don't want to lose it."
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
FDA recalls five types of cheese over contamination concerns
The Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op facility in Ohio has recalled over 5,000 lbs of cheese due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria can cause serious infections, particularly in vulnerable individuals, and can lead to miscarriages or stillbirths in pregnant women, though no illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall. Five different types of cheese are affected by the recall, including 100% Grass-fed Pepper Jack, Horseradish Flavored, Monterey Jack, and White Cheddar. The recall was initiated after product testing confirmed the presence of Listeria, with the source identified as environmental contamination that spread to food-contact areas during production. Customers who have purchased the affected cheese are advised to dispose of it or return it to the store for a refund.
