Tanja Moser felt fortunate when last year’s devastating wildfire spared the home her husband built by hand with friends 35 years ago, but that good fortune ran out as the couple watched the Las Tusas fire burn it down on May 10.
“The wind turned towards us and it was just like a rolling train it just came towards us,” Moser told KRQE. “It spread left and right it was just a wall of fire.”
In addition to burning down the home in minutes, the fire engulfed their shop and barn.
Moser grabbed her animals and released the horses before evacuating the property. She is thankful for the support of their community, many of whom didn’t escape damage from the Hermit’s Peak Calf Canyon wildfire last year.
“We’re getting approached from people that know about this and we don’t even know them,” Moser said. “Even if it’s just a sweet word or a hug, it’s just amazing how people are here.”
Moser, her husband and several pets are staying at the same hotel they evacuated to last year. A friend has set up a GoFundMe to raise money for the family.
Firefighters are still battling the Las Tusas fire, located along Highway 94, close to the community of Sapello. It’s about 13 miles northwest of Las Vegas, near areas burned in the 2022 Hermits Peak Calf Canyon wildfire. New Mexico Fire reported, "Cool temperatures and light precipitation over the fire area gave firefighters a boost in securing the line, bringing containment of the fire to 90%. Suppression repair is continuing as firefighters work to fully contain the fire. Fire traffic is still present near the fire and fire managers ask that the public be aware of fire vehicles entering the roads."
Evacuations were lifted on May 12, and a May 15 post on New Mexico Fire Information’s website indicated there are unlikely to be more updates on the fire “unless significant changes occur.”
The New Mexico Department of Transportation has reopened Highway 94. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling in the area.