Wind speeds add stress to NM firefighters

Wind is on the minds of firefighters Sunday battling three wildfires in Southeast New Mexico. The “Dog Canyon” fire in Southwest part of Carlsbad is the biggest. It has been burning since Thursday and is at 5,500 acres and 35 percent containment. The “Delta Fire” started around 11 o’ clock Sunday north of Brantley Lake in Eddy County. It has burned about 1,000 acres and is 50 percent contained. Two homes are threatened. State Forestry Officials said there is also a potential threat to oil and gas infrastructure. Another blaze called the “Prairie Fire” in Roosevelt County has burned more than 3,000 acres since it began around 9 o’clock Sunday. It is about 18 miles South of Elida. Wind speeds at the fire were gusting up to 60 miles an hour. Stat Forestry Officials also said there may be another fire burning several thousand acres in Lea County between Lovington and Artesia. Oil and gas wells are also threatened there. KASA