Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Crews from the Clovis Fire Department survey the grassfire Thursday afternoon just outside of Clovis. The fire was contained within two hours and fully eliminated at around 7 p.m.
CLOVIS - A grassfire Thursday was quite the public sight, with much of the action converging where U.S. 60/84 and NM 467 meet.
And that was likely a reason the blaze, contained in around two hours by multiple area fire departments, didn't end up being far worse.
Clovis Fire Chief Mike Nolen said the blaze, which ignited off of the shoulder of 60/84 near Curry Road N, happened where plenty of citizens reported it. Also, early response arrived quickly from the CFD's station at Martin Luther King Boulevard, the Ranchvale Fire Department and the Cannon Air Force Base Fire Department. A few miles west, Nolen said, could have added another few minutes to reporting and response time and resulted in a much larger fight.
"I'd like to say it was this beautiful, choreographed thing," Nolen said, "but we were just in luck as to where it happened."
Other aid came from the Curry County Fire Marshall, Curry County Road Department, Clovis Public Works, Texico Fire Department and numerous private construction companies who supplied water tankers.
The city of Clovis sent out a release just after 4:30 p.m. indicating the fire was contained after impacting around 200 acres, and Nolen said crews continued cleaning up hot spots until a little after 7 p.m. No structure damage or injuries were reported, but Nolen said police aided in a precautionary evacuation of four residences. Traffic was also detoured throughout the fire.
The fire traveled northeast and gained traction west of County Road N, but became more manageable once it crossed that road because of a contrast in vegetation of the neighboring fields.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
