Fire burns homes, destroys Indian ruins

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. — The fire that burned down 260 homes in Los Alamos destroyed historic Indian ruins over the weekend and threatened to turn back toward town with an increase in the wind.

Less-severely damaged parts of Los Alamos were reopened to residents yesterday, but Police Chief Rich Melton said they would still be without power. The Los Alamos nuclear laboratory remained closed.

The gigantic blaze, with an 89-mile perimeter, was burning into a canyon yesterday on the edge of an Indian reservation, where tribal fire spokesman Alvin Warren said it destroyed some "culturally sensitive archaeological sites.'' He did not elaborate.

So far firefighters have managed to keep the flames away from the tribal homes at the Santa Clara Pueblo, where about 1,500 people live. However, the fire came within a quarter-mile of cliff dwellings in a popular hunting and fishing area about 15 miles northeast of Los Alamos.

In all, the 44,000-acre blaze was 28 percent contained. More than 1,500 firefighters worked furiously to surround it.

"Any time they see a plume of smoke, it will be attacked vigorously,'' fire spokesman Jim Paxon said. "Today, we're mopping up and holding the line.'' But Paxon warned: "This does not mean the total threat of fire to Los Alamos is gone. It's diminished.''

The main worry was the National Weather Service's forecast of wind gusting to 50 mph yesterday.

The wind was that high when the fire first jumped into Los Alamos Wednesday, forcing the evacuation first of the entire town and then parts of the surrounding area, for a total of 25,000 people.

On Sunday, 7,000 residents of suburban White Rock were allowed back home. Firefighters said it may be more than a week before the others can return and weeks before the blaze is out.