Calmer winds help crews battle massive New Mexico wildfire

Firefighters battling the largest wildfire in New Mexico's history reported some progress Wednesday, saying slower winds have helped containment efforts. The Whitewater-Baldy Fire was 22 percent contained as of early Wednesday, and the town of Glenwood was not at risk even though the fire continues to burn nearby, said Gerry Perry with the Gladiator Fire Incident Management Team. Perry told New Mexico public radio station KUNM that crews think containment will steadily increase this week. The fire has been raging since May 16, sparked by lightning in the Gila National Forest, in the southwest corner of the state. According to Perry, winds in the area have slowed and flames have moved out of rugged ponderosa and conifer forests into juniper and pinon landscapes that "are less fire-friendly," KUNM reported. The blaze has already burned some 263,000 acres to become the largest wildfire in New Mexico history...more