Fire grows in San Miguel County but crews improve containment

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, N.M. — Crews improved containment of the Big Tank Fire in San Miguel County, even as it grew by just over 300 acres in 24 hours.

As of mid-Friday, the Big Tank Fire has burned around 1,181 acres but containment stands at 40%. 24 hours before, the fire burned around 859 acres and containment stood at 30%.

The fire is burning around 27 miles east of Las Vegas, south of Highway 104.

Officials say lightning sparked the fire around 12:30 a.m. Thursday. Multiple San Miguel County volunteer fire crews responded and worked on containment lines throughout the night.

The fire is fueled by grass and pinyon/juniper. It hasn’t burned any structures, nor has it threatened any structures yet.

Crews are also battling the Park Fire in Lincoln County. Currently, the fire stands at 3,000 acres with no containment. However, the fire hasn’t grown since earlier in the week.