A lightning-caused wildfire south of Mountainair sent residents of the Deer Canyon neighborhood scrambling for safety over the weekend.
The fire had burned over 100 acres and was 0% contained by Monday night and 15% on Tuesday, state forestry officials said. More than 140 crew were assigned to the fire including helicopter and bulldozer crews who joined on Tuesday. Multiple structures are threatened but none have been destroyed according to fire updates Monday morning.
The Deer Canyon Fire was discovered about 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 20 in the Deer Canyon subdivision south of Mountainair, forestry officials said. By Sunday, “fire behavior became more active during the day as temperatures and winds increased and humidity dropped” officials reported. Residents along Jumano Trail were ordered to evacuate for a short period and others were placed in “ready” status, meaning they should be prepared to leave on a moment’s notice. The Mountainair Dispatch reported that some residents received conflicting instructions from local officials about evacuations and some were temporarily prohibited from entering the subdivision.
An animal shelter has been established at the Mountainair rodeo grounds on NM 107.