ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Hundreds of evacuees were allowed to return home Sunday to two towns threatened by a wildfire that destroyed 59 houses, as crews continued working to complete containment lines.
Light wind blew through the area Sunday, a welcome change from last week’s gusts that drove the flames over containment lines.
“We’re feeling pretty good about the fire today,” said fire information officer Deb Stefan.
The blaze had covered 13,680 acres as of Sunday, or 21 square miles, east of the Manzano Mountains. It was 45 percent contained but was still within a few miles of the towns of Torreon and Tajique, southeast of Albuquerque.
While most people were allowed back to undamaged areas Sunday, Stefan said some residents in areas west of Torreon were still being kept away.
The blaze was 95 percent contained early in the week, but wind gusting to 60 mph on Wednesday blew flaming debris about three-quarters of a mile outside the containment lines, forcing 400 people to flee, destroying homes and tripling the wildfire’s acreage.
Fire information officer Judith Dyess said firefighters could have done nothing more last week.
“The winds were so bad, they couldn’t fly the aircraft safely. As far as the ground forces, when you have embers and sparks flying over the fire crews’ heads, it’s very rough,” Dyess said. “There’s just nothing anybody could have done. The wind was the driver that day.”
The fire has been feeding on tinder-dry oak brush and pinon, juniper and mixed conifer trees on the east side of the Manzanos, where terrain varies from relatively flat lower areas to rugged high country.
Gov. Bill Richardson on Friday declared Torrance County a disaster area because of the damage caused by the fire, which started April 15. The declaration makes emergency state funding available for firefighting efforts and to help provide emergency services.