SANTA FE – Officials said 18 small fires discovered burning near each other in the Carson National Forest last week were caused by people.
The Albuquerque Journal reports U.S. Forest Service is still investigating the exact cause of the fires, which collectively are being called the Maton Fire.
A soaking rain Friday helped firefighting crews contain the blaze, keeping them more than 80% contained by the weekend.
Carson National Forest spokeswoman Denise Ottaviano said investigators found 18 points of ignition, and it will take time to determine the cause for each one.
She said it was unusual for that many fires to start at one time.
