LINCOLN NATIONAL FOREST - While state, federal and Otero County firefighters continue to contain the 265 acre Timberon fire 31 miles south of Cloudcroft Friday, firefighters are also working the quarter acre Hubbell Canyon fire east of Sunspot and the 139 acre Guadle fire south of Timberon in the Guadalupe Mountains Friday.
The Timberon fire, burning on private and public lands, is an estimated 40 percent contained. The fire destroyed or damaged about 44 residential structures, 16 vehicles, 14 recreational vehicles and burned one Timberon Volunteer Fire Department engine. The fire engine burned due to mechanical failure, according to a Timberon Incident Command press release.
The release stated one person sprained their ankle during the fire.
Timberon evacuation orders are still in place for the area and remain in place until further notice, according to the release.
"Be assured we're out there doing everything we can to make sure this incident stays as it is," said Thomas Barta, incident commander for the Pecos Zone Incident Management Team. "We're doing our best to keep it from getting any bigger. We don't anticipate it doing so or anymore loss of homes."
Gov. Susana Martinez visited Timberon on Thursday and Friday, viewing the most damaged areas of the fire from the ground and a helicopter.
"It was hard to see the ashy (remains) on the ground from the sky because you know that's a home and it's flat," Martinez said. "I did see the fire was different today than it was yesterday. You couldn't see the flames that were going higher as you could yesterday. You'll see tiny plumes from where they need to go back and mop it up but it looks in much better condition – these firefighters have been working very, very hard."
Martinez also attended a public meeting in Timberon Friday eveing, taking questions and concerns from residents. Martinez spoke to an 80-year-old Timberon resident who went out to fight the fire and lost his home.
"His spirit of we're alive – that's the most important thing," Martinez said. "Life, of not just the people who live there, but also the lives of our firefighters is extremely important. Things can be replaced, maybe not at the level you had them, but you can't replace somebody's life. The community here has been amazing for pulling together."
U.S. Forest Service firefighters and two fire engines are assigned to the Hubbell Canyon fire that was lightning caused in the Lincoln National Forest around 9 a.m. Friday, according to NMFire’s website. Firefighters used full suppression tactics on it. The website states that the fire is smoldering with low potential of it spreading. No structures were threatened.
The 139 acre Guadle fire is 50 percent contained, according to NM Fire’s website. The fire is burning in the Lincoln National Forest near Rawhide Draw that’s north of Queen, New Mexico. The cause of the fire is under investigation and no structures are in the area.
According to the website, the Guadle fire was detected around 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters were continuing their containment of the fire but winds in the area were between 10 mph and 12 mph as of 2:30 p.m. Friday.
The cause of the Timberon fire remains undetermined but investigators continue their investigation into the cause of it, according to the Timberon fire release.
Otero County, state and federal firefighters continue to secure and build fire lines. With local support, there are 160 resources comprised of engines, hand crews, air attacks and bulldozers building containment fire lines, according to the release.
Fire crews continue cutting and clearing dangerous snags around homes in the burned area of Timberon.
Timberon’s power lines were knocked down during the fire. Air tankers from Alamogordo’s White Sands Regional Airport continued dropping slurry on the fire and hot spots Friday.
Martinez activated the state’s Emergency Operations Center to help with the coordinated response to the Timberon fire Thursday.
The state will get funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover 75 percent of the cost of fighting the fire which includes prepositioning of resources, evacuations and sheltering of residents, traffic control and fire equipment.
Martinez said the state will be able to pick up the 25 percent of the cost to suppress the fire.
The Cloudcroft High School gym is being used as shelter for evacuees until the fire is fully contained.
The American Red Cross confirmed that a total of 21 people stayed overnight Wednesday when the fire occurred and 15 people have currently registered with them making it a total of about 40 Timberon residents who have stayed at the shelter. Livestock is being set up at the Otero County Fairgrounds in Alamogordo.
Communities from around the area have also come together to show support for Timberon residents on Facebook and they encourage anyone that needs help to speak up. Assistance can be found on the following Timberon Facebook pages,https://www.facebook.com/groups/126788310437/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/274514549576721/
Staff writers Duane Barbati and Tara Melton contributed to this story.
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©2016 the Alamogordo Daily News (Alamogordo, N.M.)
