- SPRING WILDFIRES
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Light rain and a bit of snow in the mountains of northern New Mexico helped slow the largest wildfire in North America. But nearly 3,000 firefighters are continuing to scramble to clear flammable vegetation and deploy aircraft to douse flames ahead of a worsening fire forecast into the weekend. The Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the primary wildfire season across many parts of the Southwest. But wildland blazes already have burned an area larger than the state of Delaware this year in extremely dry conditions created by lingering drought and climate change. A new fire that broke out Wednesday briefly forced some evacuations near Flagstaff, Arizona.
- BORDER PATROL-VEHICLE PURSUITS
DONNA, Texas (AP) — The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection says he's working on a new policy for vehicle pursuits with an eye toward increasing safety after a spate of deaths. Commissioner Chris Magnus, who took over the nation's largest law enforcement agency in December, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he expects the policy to be finalized soon. It will rely on extensive discussion with people inside and outside the Border Patrol, data analysis and a review of practices at other law enforcement agencies. He told agents about the upcoming change during a visit to Texas' Rio Grande Valley.
- BC-FIRE RESTRICTIONS-ARIZONA
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona's national forests and some local governments and land management agencies are implementing stricter campfire and smoking restrictions because of the heightened wildfire threat. Heightened restrictions ordered by the Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Coronado, Kaibab, Prescott and Tonto national forests take effect either Wednesday or Thursday. Along with restricting campfires and smoking, the forests' heightened restrictions prohibit or impose limits on various activities. Those include shooting, welding, using chain saws, running generators and driving motor vehicles off roads. An Apache-Sitgreaves statement said the restrictions "are necessary to reduce human-caused wildfires during periods of high fire danger and persistent severe fire conditions." .
- TRIPLE FATAL CRASH
DEMING, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say three West Texas residents were killed when the SUV they were riding in while it was being towed on a New Mexico highway rolled after both vehicles ran off the road . A New Mexico State police spokesman said Monday that eight people were in two SUVs headed east on Interstate 10 outside the small southern New Mexico city of Deming when the accident happened Saturday night. The three men who died were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from a Nissan SUV. The Nissan driver was badly injured and four people in the SUV that had been towing the Nissan were also hurt. Two of the dead were from El Paso and the third from the nearby community of Anthony.
- SPRING WILDFIRES
MORA, N.M. (AP) — As more than 2,700 firefighters in northern New Mexico continue to battle the nation's largest active wildfire, many evacuees are worried about their future. Hundreds have been away from their homes for more than a month now due to the biggest fire in the state's recorded history, and some say their financial resources are dwindling. Officials at Glorieta Adventure Camps said there have been 67 coronavirus cases among evacuees, including some that required hospitalization. Meanwhile, the six-week-old wildfire remained 40% contained around its perimeter Sunday.