BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

A fire east of Lumberton in Rio Arriba County has now burned some 340 acres and is estimated to be 5 percent contained.

Chama Forestry Division office spokesperson Mary Stuever told the Los Alamos Reporter late Monday morning that erratic winds Sunday afternoon along with very dry conditions made fighting the fire difficult and it got out of control. Gusting winds reached almost 30 miles an hour during the afternoon Sunday as the fire burned Ponderosa pine and brush.

“Today’s a good day because we have had a little bit of rain and the relative humidity is up which we hope will help,” Steuver said.

The fire is began in private land off Hwy 64 and is under investigation. The fire is threatening approximately four homes, two of which have been evacuated, and is moving towards the Jicarilla Apache Tribal Lands.

Multiple resources from State Forestry, Chama Volunteer Fire Department, Dulce Volunteer Fire Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are working this fire from the ground with support from multiple air tankers.