Firelighters from multiple departments battled a Sunland Park blaze Saturday evening that engulfed several homes and threatened others before it was finally put out.
The huge fire broke out about 6 p.m. in the 100-200 block of Linda Vista and Sunland Park fire officials said "responding crews were encountered with heavy fire and smoke."
Firefighters from El Paso, West Valley, Santa Teresa and La Union were called in to assist Sunland Park fire crews in getting the flames under control, which took hours.
Nearby residents - amidst thick, heavy smoke in the neighborhood that made breathing difficult - tended to their own garden hoses, getting on their rooftops to spraying water in a furious attempt to protect their homes.
“People started grabbing hoses and jumping in there because the fire department took a little while to get here," resident Gilbert Arellano said.