A wildfire broke out on the Colorado-New Mexico line near Cox Canyon near Aztec on Saturday. It quickly grew to 100 acres because of strong winds and dry conditions, similar to the Six Shooter Fire late last month.
“It’s growing quickly and burning aggressively,” said Richard Bustamante, fire staff officer with the San Juan National Forest.
The Fire Management division of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the San Juan County, New Mexico, fire agency sent on-the-ground resources Saturday afternoon. There are a number of air tankers working to put the fire out, though there was no containment as of Saturday evening, according to the San Juan County Fire Department.
New Mexico-Colorado line wildfire grows to 100 acres
“Right now, the fire is pushing to the north,” said Davin Neeley, public information officer for the San Juan County, on Saturday evening.
The Forest Service ordered planes to put down fire retardant soon after the fire broke out in the early afternoon, but management of the fire will be transferred to Bureau of Land Management later in the evening. Other local agencies are continuing to help combat the wildfire.
Neeley said the fire is far enough away from roads or homes that road closures or evacuations are not expected as of Saturday evening.
“The main message is we are very dry, and any small start can burn very quickly,” Neeley said.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.ehayes@durangoherald.com
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