Lightning strikes twice in southern New Mexico, igniting fire at Las Cruces landfill

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Lightning struck twice in southern New Mexico, causing two separate fires, this weekend. The first happened at a Las Cruces landfill, the other in the Lincoln National Forest.

The first strike happened late Friday night at the Foothills Landfill on the 500 block of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard, Las Cruces Fire Department officials report. They say the lightning likely caused a fire at the landfill. Officials tell ABC-7 that a thunderstorm had brought heavy rain, strong winds, and lightning into Las Cruces.

A large pile of raw yard waste that was waiting to be turned into mulch went up into flames. Fire officials say that the Las Cruces Solid Waste Department helped crews figure out how to contain the fire, due to the large amount of waste fueling the blaze.

The fire is still burning in some areas of the landfill, and Solid Waste staff are monitoring the situation. Officials expect the fire will extinguish fully by Wednesday afternoon, and residents should expect to continue to see smoke until that time. The landfill will reopen for normal operations once the fire is completely out. A spokesperson reassures residents that the fire does not pose a threat to the public, however, they advise people with respiratory issues to avoid the area.