Capitan Gap Fire

The Capitan Gap Fire was a 17,000 acres (69 km2) human-caused forest fire that broke out in the Capitan Mountains range within Lincoln National Forest, in Lincoln County, eastern New Mexico in 1950: beginning on May 4. It was named for Capitan Gap in the mountain range.

While a 24-man firefighting crew desperately dug firebreaks the wind shifted, and the fire jumped the line. The men buried themselves in the earth of a recent landslide, and survived the fire.

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