March 29, 2022 
The Highway 380 Fire started this afternoon on private land off of Highway 380 near the community of Tatum in Lea County and has since spread into Yoakum County, TX. Highway 380 is currently closed due to low visibility. The Lea County Office of Emergency Management is reporting that the fire is currently 12 to 15 miles long and evacuation orders are in place for multiple residences in both New Mexico and Texas. Due to the swiftness of the fire, the exact acreage is unknown at this time. Multiple power lines are also down and poles have burned. Utility workers are in the area checking lines and outages are expected. Residents are urged to stay away from the fire area.
Multiple fire resources are on the scene, including the Forestry Division, numerous Volunteer Fire Departments, the Bureau of Land Management, and crews from Texas. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning that will remain in place until 7:00 p.m. for the northeast and east-central plains due to very strong winds and low relative humidity. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Individuals sensitive to wildfire smoke should take precautions and use the New Mexico Department of Health 5-3-1 Visibility Method to determine if it’s safe to be outside. Learn more at
https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html.
Start Date & Time: 03/29/2022 approx. 1415
Start Location: HWY 380 and Mile Marker 237, Lea County
Latitude: N 33.257
Longitude: W -103.145
Cause of Fire: Unknown
Area Vegetation: Grass
Estimated Acres Burned: 1,000+
Ownership(s): Private
Structures Threatened: Yes
Structures Burned: No
Evacuations: Yes
Wendy Mason
Wildfire Prevention & Communications Coordinator
Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Dept.
Forestry Division
wendy.mason@state.nm.us
NM Fire Info 
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