The blaze on Friday had charred more than 25 square miles (66 square kilometers) since igniting a day earlier. The flames were spreading quickly through grasslands and ponderosa pine thanks to hot, dry and windy conditions.
The communities of Ute Park and Cimarron have been evacuated. Roads are closed throughout the area. Officials have reported that 12 empty buildings at the Boy Scouts’ Philmont Ranch have been burned.
Forecasters say there’s little relief expected and that the massive smoke plume generated by the Ute Park Fire has risen thousands of feet into the air.
More about: Mexico
