EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Camp Fire remained at 720 acres overnight and is still 4 percent contained, the New Mexico Forestry Division said in an update issued on Tuesday, May 27.
The fire started on Sunday and is burning near Fort Stanton in Lincoln County, New Mexico. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
About 150 fire personnel are on scene fighting the fire, the Forestry Division said.
“Today fire crews will continue to secure the perimeter of the fire by removing burning material near the control lines to reduce the chance of it escaping control lines and reigniting. GIS mapping of the burned area is ongoing. Crews will be especially focused on the south side of the fire,” the Forestry Division said.
Helicopters will continue to drop water on hotspots. Smoke will remain visible in the area.
The area affected by the fire is a specially managed area by the Bureau of Land Management and the State of New Mexico. Fort Stanton, established in 1855, is one of the most intact 19th-century military forts in the country and is the best-preserved fort in New Mexico, the Forest Division said.
Three historic structures at the fort, however, have been damaged in the fire, as was another building.
Temperatures are expected to reach 75 degrees Tuesday with 12 mph winds. There is a chance of
thunderstorms in afternoon which may bring rain but also lightning, the Forestry Division said.
Fort Stanton is closed to the public. Rob Jaggers Campground, and the Rio Bonito and
West Mesa Road dispersed camping areas are also closed. Highway 220 is closed in the Fort Stanton area. Closures and evacuations will be reassessed daily, the Forestry Division said.
BLM Roswell District, Lincoln County and the NM Forestry Division are all under fire restrictions or a burn ban. Campfires of any kind (wood, charcoal, wood stoves), chainsaw use, smoking outdoors, operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and outdoor welding are all prohibited, the Forestry Division said.
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