Two Fires Burn Near Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Little progress has been made in the battle to stop wildfires near Carlsbad Caverns National Park. One small fire was extinguished, but another raged on Sunday.

The larger fire burned through more than 8,000 acres of land. Park officials said the fires started last weekend due to lightning strikes.

The caverns weren’t affected, but park officials said some of the wildlife in the area was in danger.

So far, $300,000 have been spent on fighting the blaze. About 120 firefighters along with crews with several state and county agencies have been attacking the two blazes on land and from the air.

According to authorities, no one has been hurt and they didn’t know when the fires would be contained.

All park and back country hiking trails were closed. Officials said some of the cave tours had been cancelled.