They had cleared 25 miles as of Friday morning, preparing for burnout operations that had been scheduled for Friday but were postponed because of the weather.
The burnout on the fire's western and southern sides likely will be done Sunday because of strong wind and warmer, dry weather predicted for Saturday, said Joe Luttman, a fire information officer.
The lightning-caused Peppin fire is six miles northeast of Capitan in the Lincoln National Forest in south-central New Mexico. It has burned 12 cabins and several outbuildings in the Pine Lodge area.
Rainfall Thursday - ranging from 0.03 to 0.10 of an inch - helped lower temperatures and raise humidity.
There were 576 people assigned to the fire, along with five helicopters, two single-engine air tankers, 25 engines, 15 water tenders and six bulldozers.
Meanwhile, firefighters were mopping up the 5,280-acre Lookout fire 50 miles to the northwest in the Gallinas Mountains. The fire, eight miles west of Corona in the Cibola National Forest, destoroyed a ranch house and two unoccupied communications buildings.
Related:
- Rain Falls on New Mexico Fire as it Exceeds 25,000 Acres
- New Mexico Wildfire Grows to More Than 25,000 Acres
- New Mexico Firefighters Try To Flank 23,000-Acre Peppin Fire
- New Mexico Governor Calls For Tankers Return
- Air Force Cargo Planes on Standby for Arizona Firefighting
- New Mexico Wildfire Burns 1,500 Acres, Home
- New Mexico Firefighters Brace for Strong Winds
- National Guard Black Hawks to Help Fight New Mexico Wildfires
- Firefighters Make Progress On Lincoln Forest Fire
- Crews Mopping Up Fires In New Mexico
