More New Mexico residents warned they may need to flee fire

LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — Firefighters in New Mexico’s Rocky Mountain foothills are preparing to excavate new firebreaks and clear brush that can serve as tinder to create more defensive lines.

They're trying to prevent a massive wildfire from destroying more homes and pine forests.

The fire that is largest in the U.S. has burned about 300 homes and it jumped a highway late Sunday.

That allowed it to take hold in rugged areas difficult for firefighters to reach.

That prompted a warning for more residents of rural villages to be prepared to flee quickly.

Another New Mexico wildfire in the mountains near a key nuclear research facility prompted preparations for evacuations.