RATON, N.M.—The wildfire raging near Raton has grown to 24,000 acres, and a separate fire in the southern part of the state is threatening the visitors’ center and employee housing at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Fire officials say new mapping shows the Track fire near Raton is about four times the 6,000 acres that was estimated to be burning Monday and the fire has crossed the border into Colorado.
It’s burning on both sides of Interstate 25 and the highway between Raton and Trinidad, Colo., remains closed. It’s also threatening about 300 structures near Raton.
In southern New Mexico, the Loop Fire has charred more than 14,000 acres. Crews are doing backburn operations around park headquarters and have closed U.S. 62/180 to the New Mexico-Texas state line.
