The wildfire burning 30 miles east of Douglas near the Arizona–New Mexico border continues to grow, but this type of fire will eventually benefit the environment, according to U.S. Forest Service officials.
The Guadalupe Fire has burned 3,500 acres. The fire, which is on the New Mexico side of border, isn’t expected to cross into Arizona.
However, with 0 percent containment, there’s a lot of work that has to be done by crews to protect nearby buildings and cultural sites.
Heidi Schewel with the Forest Service said despite how quickly the fire is moving, this type of fire is doing what fire should do.
"A lot of the nutrients that have been locked up in this living bio mass are actually recycled by this type fire into the soil," said Schewel. "So once the monsoon comes, the areas that are burned are going to green up a lot faster, and so that’s going to provide excellent forage for wildlife."
Schewel said crews are using the area’s natural features as a containment line.
Investigators have determined the fire was caused by lightning.
