Firefighters monitoring blaze at Curry County dairy

Firefighters are monitoring a hay fire Thursday evening at the South Slope Dairy about four miles north of Texico on Curry County Road 14, according to Texico Fire Chief Lewis Cooper.

Cooper said the fire, limited to baled hay, will likely continue to burn for several days.

“When it’s baled up under a shed like that,” Cooper said, “it’s nearly impossible to put out.”

Firefighters plan to stay on scene through the night to monitor the burn, he said.

“What’s burning is just going to have to burn out,” Lewis said. “If the wind doesn’t get up too much, we should be all right.”

Capt. Reed Wheeler of the Texico Fire Department said the fire started in hay fire about 11:30 a.m. today and spread to a silage pit.

Gusting winds of more than 25 mph made the fire difficult to contain, Wheeler said. No injuries or structural damage was reported, and Cooper said animals on the dairy suffered smoke inhalation in a worst-case scenario.

Cooper said no damage estimate is currently available.

Attempts to reach the dairy owner for comment were unsuccessful.

Units from the Pleasant Hill and Clovis fire departments assisted.