Official: Air conditioner started fire

Portales firefighters were called to Heartland Continuing Care about 8:10 p.m. Thursday because of a small fire in an air conditioner in the south dining hall.

Heartland staff members moved the residents to the west wing of the building until they were cleared to return, said Portales Fire Department Battalion Chief Lance Hill.

Hill said firefighters saw no flames, but the air conditioner’s motor was smoking. They sprayed the motor with a dry chemical extinguisher and helped get the smoke out of the building.

Only the motor was damaged, and Hill said he didn’t know what caused the fire.