The McBride fire was 4,312 acres as of Tuesday night, the New Mexico Department of Forestry said in a press release. “The fire has been reduced by 0% at the moment and has been transferred to the Kokopeli subdivision. About 150 structures were burned or damaged, including houses, and many more are still threatened,” the statement said. Crews set fire near the high school, city officials said on Facebook, and 1,700 students from high school, high school and elementary school were taken to the convention center. Officials added that power outages continue in the area. Laura Reynolds, who lives in the Rancho Ruidoso Valley Estate subdivision in nearby Alto, recorded a video showing smoke from the fire hovering over her neighborhood. Speaking to CNN, he said authorities had ordered evacuations. The video shows a huge plume of gray smoke coming over the ridges of many mountains, while tree branches rustle in the wind. The fire broke out Tuesday afternoon, according to the New Mexico Fire Information – an inter-service website with information from federal and state agencies. Investigators have not determined the cause of the McBride fire. About 100 miles northwest, another large fire, the Big Hole, has burned about 850 acres since Tuesday afternoon, according to Valencian county officials. At least one firefighter suffered minor burns on Monday and is recovering at home, said Valencia Fire Chief Matt Prop. A house and 18 outbuildings have been damaged or destroyed, the department said in a Facebook post. The fire started in the community of Belen, about 30 miles south of Albuquerque. The causes of the fire, which started on Monday, are being investigated. About 100 firefighters are involved in extinguishing the fire. Restriction lines have been created, the leader said, but it does not yet have a restriction rate. Propp said the area sees gusts of 40-50 mph. A red flag warning is in effect for the Middle Rio Grande Valley until 9 p.m. MT, according to the National Meteorological Service. About 200 buildings are still threatened by the fire, according to fire officials. “About 75% of the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area (WWCA) has also been affected. The WWCA headquarters (building) is not affected,” Wendy Mason, the state’s fire prevention and communications coordinator, wrote on the site. CNN’s Amanda Jackson and Amanda Musa contributed to this report.
