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Northern New Mexico Fire Grows To 3 Square Miles

A wildfire raging in northern New Mexico's Jemez Mountains has grown to an estimated over 3 square miles as it sends smoke as far away as Albuquerque, about 75 miles to the south.

The lightning-sparked Diego Fire located nine miles southwest of Coyote is burning in mixed conifer forest with many dead or downed trees, and officials say groups of trees catch fire at a time.

The fire on Monday made a run to the southeast, resulting in officers going door to door to ask residents of the sparsely populated area to leave their homes.

Officials could not immediately say how many families were affected by the evacuations in the community of Jarosa (yuh-ROE'-suh) and the surrounding area.

Albuquerque on Monday issued an air-quality alert because of the smoke.

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