Blazing Meteors
Mike Smith
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Could something from Outer Space be setting land aglow in New Mexico?
From Saturday, June 13th to Wednesday June 17th, the Dripping Springs Fire lit up the night sky near Las Cruces with a crescent shaped glow across the Organ Mountains.
Because it cost over $500,000 in people and equipment to get the blaze under control, naming a cause and therefore a culprit for the damage has been a priority.
While no one is yet officially to blame or harass, a recent theory has surfaced. As recorded in the Las Cruces Sun-News, a White Sands Missile Range employee named J.O. Johnson witnessed a meteor strike late Friday night while driving on the highest point of Highway 70 east of the city. With the sweeping view from San Augustin Pass in his windshield, Johnson says he saw a “very brilliant, large white object with green tints” come down at a sharp angle “and appeared to strike near [the] Dripping Springs and Soledad Canyon area.”
“All I thought was ‘that’s neat.’ Then [Saturday] afternoon, when they started talking about a fire out there, it led me to question whether the heat caused a yucca to smolder and start the fire. I just thought it was a rare coincidence to see something like that fall and have a fire.”
The blame can’t be laid on lightning or controlled burns. They were both on vacation when the fire happened. And surprisingly nobody has come forward to take responsibility for the carnage, ruin and losses. Unless a more conclusive answer is found, perhaps the $500,000 bill will have to be sent the mysterious meteor’s parents, possibly still in orbit far, far away.
—Megan Walker
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Reader Comments (3)
I like your combustible yucca theory. Where we live, local ranchers have put their cattle out upwind of some of the rural residential areas to graze the dry grass down. But the fallen yuccas here are paper dry during NM's usual spring dry season. They could almost be used for fire starter logs. (if anyone is irresponsible enough to use their fire place during fire season)
Great composition, Megan. Here's hoping for more to come. :-)