The Latest: Utility shuts down power lines for several towns
MESCALERO, N.M. (AP) — The Latest on New Mexico wildfires (all times local):
3:00 p.m.
A New Mexico utility says firefighting efforts in southern New Mexico prompted it to shut down power lines for several communities.
PNM says it planned to shut down the lines early in the afternoon Friday to allow for air tankers to drop retardant on the wildfire on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
The lines provide power to the Village of Ruidoso, and the villages of Mescalero and Tularosa. The utility planned to restore power as quickly as possible after clearing the retardant from the lines.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs says the fire has burned nearly 4 square miles since Thursday afternoon and that it's about a half-mile (.