ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Residents and business owners are going to be allowed to return to one of the small New Mexico towns evacuated because of the wildfire burning in the Gila National Forest.
Fire officials say they've decided to lift the evacuation order for Mogollon tomorrow because crews were able to build some containment lines on the fire's western flank. The privately run ghost town was evacuated on May 26 as extreme wind fueled the Whitewater-Baldy Complex fire.
It's expected to reopen to the public on Wednesday. The community of Willow Creek on the fire's northern flank remains evacuated. The fire has burned 377 square miles and is still only 17 percent contained.
But fire officials say they hope milder weather will allow crews to make more progress in the coming days. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is monitoring two packs of endangered Mexican gray wolves that live north and east of the fire.
The Associated Press