Abandoned Las Cruces home burns in massive fire

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- An abandoned house on Brownlee Avenue in Las Cruces caught fire Tuesday night.

Firefighters started their efforts to extinguish the flames just before 9 p.m. November 21, 2023.

Heavy smoke and fire poured out of the boarded-up home, city officials said in a news release Wednesday morning.

The plywood sealing the doors and windows actually slowed down the firefighting efforts, officials say. Crews had a difficult time getting into the house and had to pull out saws and other hand tools to enter the burning house.

About ten minutes after making entry, firefighters fully extinguished the blaze. They then searched the house and found no one inside. No one was injured in the fire, officials say.

Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire and the estimated cost of the damage.