RATON, N.M.—Gov. Susana Martinez is headed to Raton this evening, where she will be briefed on a raging wildfire that has charred more than 24,000 acres along the New Mexico-Colorado border.
The Track Fire has forced hundreds of residents from their homes, damaged the community’s watershed and closed a major interstate that links to the two states.
The governor tells The Associated Press that officials will do what they can to open Interstate 25 between Raton and Trinidad, Colo., as soon as possible but the priority is safety. She says the fire and wind gusts have resulted in zero visibility along the corridor.
Martinez acknowledges that the fires burning around the state are causing devastation, but she says New Mexico’s communities are strong and will pull through this difficult time.
