Fire & mud
Blaze destroys home as mud hampers firefighting effort

A home burns at 15 Uprooted Tree, just west of the Highway 602 twenty mile marker. The home was largely reduced to ash, leaving behind the brick walls and blackened porch posts of the home. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

By Daniel Zollinger
Independent photojournalist

Black smoke towers into the sky as a home burns at 15 Uprooted Tree, just west of the Highway 602 twenty mile marker. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

BREADSPRINGS — Firefighters were hampered by thick mud Saturday in fighting a blaze that destroyed the home of Bridgette Thomas at 15 Uprooted Tree, just west of New Mexico Highway 602 at the 20 mile marker.

"It was like a lot of memories ... now it's just start all over again ... get things to the way things used to be,” Thomas said. Two dogs, Shorty and Daisy, died in the fire, she said.

Because of the heavy mud in the area from recent snows, firefighters had a difficult time reaching the blaze. Deep mud on roadways leading up to the house and a remote location, eliminated nearly all chances of saving the home, officials said. Firefighters shuttled water to the scene using small fire trucks that could navigate the muddy road. The home was largely reduced to ash, leaving behind the brick walls and blackened porch posts of the home.

The family was not home a the time of the fire and arrived in shock to see their burning home, Thomas said.
It is undetermined what caused the fire.