Storms slow fire

Ute Park blaze is now 23% contained as firefighters get a break

The Ute Park Fire grew to just over 36,000 acres by Sunday evening, but thunderstorms improved firefighting conditions and the fire was about onequarter contained by night, officials say.

Officials estimated that firefighters were able to get the fire about 23 percent contained by Sunday evening, said Judith Dyess, a spokeswoman for the Southwest Incident Management Team. It had been zero percent contained from the time it started on Thursday until Sunday.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Sunday thunderstorms were expected to bring an inch of rain, which helped firefighting efforts, Dyess said. About 500 firefighters from multiple agencies were involved in the effort.

The fire prompted the evacuation of about 2,200 people in the communities of Ute Park, Cimarron and the Philmont Scout Ranch. It had burned down about 14 nonresidential structures on the ranch. There was no additional property damage on Sunday, Dyess said.

Firefighters used burning methods, and other firefighting tools to limit the spread of the fire and protect the Cimarron community, officials said. Sunday’s rains helped with firefighting efforts, especially on the eastern portion of the fire, Dyess said.

The fire sent a plume of smoke over a portion of northern New Mexico that included Taos.

Dyess said there is a community meeting planned for 4 p.m. today at the village of Angel Fire Community Center.

ROBERT BROWMAN/JOURNAL The Ute Park Fire burns in the mountains above Eagle Nest Lake on Saturday. Storms helped firefighting efforts and by Sunday evening the blaze was 23 percent contained, officials said.