ALBUQUERQUE, June 25 (UPI) -- Firefighters have contained a wildfire that burned more than 700 acres of forest along the Rio Grande in Albuquerque.
More than 1,000 people were forced from their homes, including the mayor and his family.
"Firefighters have a pretty good handle on it," New Mexico Department of Public Safety spokesman Peter Olson said Wednesday. "There are still some fires burning but crews are working on those hot spots to make sure it doesn't spread."
Investigators believe fireworks may have ignited the fire Tuesday, sending flames racing through the tall cottonwoods and other trees along the river. There were no injuries and only one home under construction was lost. The evacuated residents have returned to their homes, Olson said.
Mayor Martin Chavez and his family were forced to evacuate their home. He said the fire was the worst in the "bosque" area along the Rio Grande in recent memory. New Mexico is suffering in the fourth year of a long-term drought.
