Fire threatening homes in southeast NM

CLOUDCROFT, NM (KRQE) - The Las Conchas fire near Los Alamos is not the only one burning a lot of land and threatening homes.

In Otero County, the Little Lewis fire has burned 1,200 acres in the Sacramento Mountains south of Mayhill and is 15 percent contained.

The fire is threatening 40 homes but has not destroyed any structures.  Air support has been strong. Helicopters and planes have been circling the area, dropping water and slurry.  

The area received rain late Thursday afternoon, and fire officials say if the weather continues to cooperate, they may have it contained soon.

"Hopefully that fire will lay down and be a little more mellow like it was last night, and so within a few days would be ideal," said Katherine Sanchez Meador, spokesperson for the Sacramento Ranger District.

Evacuation orders are in effect for the communities of Weed, Sacramento, Seep, Agua Chiquita and Ehart Canyons.

Among those evacuated are kids and adults from a church camp in Sacramento.

When asked if the kids scared, church camp director Cory Campbell said, "No cause you really couldn't see anything. So when we told the kids it wasn't like hey there's a fire so they're scared. It was just, you know, hey it's time to go."

Evacuation sites have been set up in Cloudcroft.  They are also able to accommodate pets and livestock.