Investigators say a wildfire that destroyed a dozen homes in the Manzano Mountains earlier this year started after a wood-chipping machine struck a rock and sent sparks flying into brush and forest debris.
It took just minutes for a small patch of flames to erupt into a blaze that would burn for weeks and end up costing more than $10 million to put out.
Details of the fire's cause and the response by firefighters are outlined in a report released this week by forest officials.
The Dog Head Fire charred about 28 square miles and forced the evacuation of residents in several communities along the eastern side of the mountain range.
The report says the crew using the machine had a shovel, an axe and one fire extinguisher but didn't fight the flames because they were too intense.
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