Homes, Water at Risk in N.M. Blaze

Firefighters worked to protect houses and a watershed Tuesday from a northern New Mexico wildfire that had forced hundreds of people out of their homes.

The 650-acre fire was moving toward the northeast, and elite “hotshot” fire crews struggled to keep the flames from moving into Santa Fe’s watershed, said Charlie Jankiewicz, fire information officer.

“It’s very steep, heavily forested terrain. It’s very difficult,” he said.

Santa Fe, about 15 miles west of the fire, already is short of water and has imposed severe restrictions.

There was no estimate of containment Tuesday.

State police asked about 300 residents of Dalton and Pecos canyons to leave their homes Monday as a precaution, said state Police Lt. Rob Shilling. Several small communities and campgrounds dot the pine-covered hills.

No one had been allowed to return Tuesday, authorities said.

Dalton Canyon, where the fire started Monday, contains about 15 homes.

“A structural fire group is protecting those homes right now and trying to pretreat them so they do not burn--water, foaming them down, removing fuel from around the houses,” Jankiewicz said.

No homes had been burned and no fire-related injuries were reported, he said.

Cora Gonzales and her husband packed their suitcases and gathered important papers and photographs of their grandchildren before leaving Macho Canyon.

“I could smell smoke. It was thick. It was the most smoke I’ve seen,” said Cora Gonzales, who has lived in the area for 17 years. She said she could see flames from her front porch Monday.

To the north, a Colorado fire that had chased about 2,400 people from their homes was 40% contained Tuesday. Crews hoped to have it controlled today, fire information officer Sara Mayben said.