Strong Winds Cause Problems For Firefighters

Two separate fires erupted in El Paso Friday, with one thing in common: severe winds that made them harder to fight.

Around 1 p.m. Friday, about 25 firefighters battled a brushfire on the banks of the Rio Grande River, near Loop 375 and Midway. Extra help was needed, since the 60 mile-per-hour winds posed a serious threat.

"We did bring out one company from the get-go and of course, with the winds giving us problems, we brought out an additional seven pumpers," Lt. Danny Medrano said.

Luckily, the fire was brought under control within an hour, but firefighters said the gusty conditions could have made things a lot worse.

"Even if we have just a small spark, it'll light that fire back up again and catch very dry brush," Medrano said.

Then, less than two hours later, another fire -- this one at a mobile home in the Lower Valley. After the home of 86-year-old Inez Aguilar Dorado was destroyed, the winds swept flames to her neighbor's home, also leaving behind damage. The elderly woman still doesn't know how it happened, and must now cope with the loss of all her belongings.