(photo to be posted soon)
The Wallow Fire situated to the south and west of Alpine continues to rage and had grown to 192,746 acres in size as of Monday morning.
Progress was hindered on Sunday and Monday as approximately 2,515 emergency personnel battled the blaze, as well as spot fires that occurred up to three miles ahead of the fire on the northeast flank due to extreme winds. Included in that number are 31 hotshot crews and 25 handcrews. Aiding the effort are 22 helicopters, 12 dozers, 138 engines and 31 watertenders.
Residents of Alpine, Nutrioso and Blue River had already been evacuated, and evacuations on Monday included subdivisions along Highways 180 and 191, including Escudilla Mountain Estates, Bonita, White Mountain Acres and the H-V Ranch. This area includes CR 4000, CR 4001 and CR 422. Pre-evacuation notice was also given to the residents of Greer and Luna, N.M.
Due to extreme fire conditions, the Apache National Forest is closed to all public entry. Property owners and their guests will continue to have access to private lands within the forest.
The Wallow Fire began May 29, about 24 miles southwest of Alpine, and is being investigated as human caused. As of Monday, the fire remained at zero containment. For more updates on the fire, go online to http://www.inciweb.org.
