By KRWG News
Hondo, NM – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a request for financial help with a wildfire that has forced evacuations and charred more than 118 square miles in southern New Mexico.
The fire is burning in steep, rocky terrain on private and Mescalero Apache Tribal lands. Part of the fire is burning on a ranch owned by newsman Sam Donaldson.
Gov. Susana Martinez says approval of the FEMA grant will allow the state to better address costs associated with fighting the Donaldson fire.
Martinez was visiting Hondo on Friday to be briefed on the Donaldson fire.
The fire has burned more than 75,600 acres since starting Tuesday. Crews have contained about 10 percent of the blaze.
Fire officials say burnout operations have been successful, but they're still concerned about spotting.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.