A fire that was intentionally set in northern New Mexico's Jemez Mountains raced out of control when wind kicked up, burning at least 500 acres.
Another fire in the Jemez, apparently sparked by lighting, has burned about 20 acres.
Firefighters were working Tuesday to contain both fires.
''Unfortunately, it looks like more hot and dry, and more wind,'' said Miles Standish, a fire information officer with the U.S. Forest Service.
The mountains received a nice snowpack last winter, but the hot weather melted it quickly and, coupled with the wind, caused abundant grass to wither.
The Mesa Camino Fire, in the Santa Fe National Forest about five miles north of Coyote, was kindled Monday and was designed to remove fuels in the area, Standish said.
The fire burned about 150 acres as planned until the wind drove it out of control, officials said.
''The weather report that we were given didn't include the kind of wind event that came up at noon,'' Joan Hellen said.
The fire was moving away from the community.
''It's all in a remote location,'' Hellen said. ''There's no immediate threat to private property.''
The fire was burning oak, ponderosa pine and mixed conifer trees.
More than 75 firefighters, using four engines and two bulldozers, were tackling the Mesa Camino Fire, Standish said.
A helicopter also was called for reconnaissance and to drop buckets of water on the flames, he said.
Two air tankers were being used to drop fire retardant slurry on the blaze, Standish said.
The Valle Fire burned at least 20 acres of mixed conifer trees in the Valles Caldera National Preserve about four miles north of N.M. 4. The fire was not threatening any structures or private land.
''It may have happened a few days ago and may have snoozed a few days until the high winds brought it to life,'' Standish said.
About 50 firefighters using three engines were battling the blaze, he said.
''They had difficulty getting to it because the roads had been closed and blocked,'' Standish said. Air tankers were on standby, he said.
Two small fires, flaring from campfires, were quickly contained in the Gila National Forest in southwestern New Mexico during the past weekend, officials said.
The McComas Fire was reported Saturday morning about four miles northwest of Silver City. It was contained at more than an acre.
The Cattleguard Fire was reported Friday afternoon and quickly extinguished.
Loretta Benavidez, a fire information officer, said 15 abandoned campfires have been reported in the Gila during the last three weeks.
''Every abandoned campfire has a potential to escape,'' she said. ''We have a very heavy fuel load of fine grasses, and grasses can easily carry fire and cause it to spread rapidly.''
